Determination Of Different Types Research Articles

Employee Work Behavior in Russian Business Organizations: Priorities, Professional Features and Work Practices

The paper investigates the questions about social organization of work behavior in the Russian companies. Focus in research was made on desirable and obligatory behavior, work standards and determinants of different types of organizational behavior. Survey of 1423 employees presents all key industries of the Russian business, performing within the main federal districts. The results show that the domination of the mercantile and consumer attitude to work as means of achievement of material welfare is not the socio-cultural phenomenon only, but also the result of social and economic conditions in the work sphere. The examined distinction of interests, demands and standards of behavior for representatives of various professions represents one of the deepest contradictions of the development processes of working sphere in Russian society. The research found out deep deformations in the sphere of working activity of employees in the Russian companies.

Determinants of different types of bank liquidity: evidence from BRICS countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of three different types of bank liquidity: funding liquidity, liquidity creation, and stock liquidity in emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachIt uses an extensive set of data from all the listed banks of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, collectively known as the BRICS countries, spanning the period 2002-2014. Multiple linear regression has been used to estimate the coefficients of the determinants.FindingsIn case of emerging markets, bank size is not a determinant of different types of liquidity, except funding liquidity. Besides, the recent financial crisis had an impact on funding liquidity as well as “cat nonfat” measure of liquidity creation but it did not affect “cat fat” measure and stock liquidity. The variation in funding liquidity is also explained by the profitability and the riskiness of the bank. Effective interest rate, national savings rate, and inflation rate are also the determinants of funding liquidity. Bank-specific determinants of liquidity creation include bank leverage and profitability, and macroeconomic determinants include stock market index, effective interest rate, and unemployment rate. The variation in stock liquidity of the bank is explained by profitability and price of stocks, trading volume, volatility of stock returns, and percentage change in real gross domestic product. Neither market capitalization nor stock market index is the determinant of stock liquidity of the banks.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses the data from publically listed banks only.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study may be used by the policy makers and bank managers in the emerging markets to design better policies and to strengthen the banking system to avoid financial turmoil in future.Originality/valueMost of the existing studies focus on bank liquidity in developed countries and studies aiming on emerging countries are rare. The existing studies focus more on funding liquidity and liquidity creation but to the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of the studies analyze the determinants of banks’ stock liquidity. So, this study bridges the above mentioned gaps by focusing on bank liquidity in emerging markets, and exploring the determinants of the stock liquidity of the banks.

Optical, magnetic and dielectric properties of ZnO:Y nanoparticles synthesized by hydrothermal method

Y3+ ions doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal method. The desired nanocrystalline phase and intrinsic defects inside the host ZnO nanoparticles was obtained by taking the as prepared samples, doped with different Y3+ ion concentrations, at 400 °C for 6 h in vacuum atmosphere. The crystallinity and morphology of all the samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Atomic vibrational mode of the samples has been investigated by FTIR spectroscopy. The formation of oxygen vacancy and the trapping of electron in Y3+ ions doped ZnO nanorods were also confirmed by PL and Raman analysis which are very useful for the determination of different types of defect in the sample. Magnetic measurement shows the presence of room temperature ferromagnetism in the samples which has been successfully explained by the vacancy assisted bound magnetic polaron model. Frequency as well as temperature dependent dielectric constant of the samples was also investigated. High value of dielectric constant in the Y3+ ions doped ZnO sample was obtained.

Determinants of Knowledge and Biosecurity Preventive Behaviors for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Risk Among Chinese Poultry Farmers.

Biosecurity measures are the first line of defense against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on farms. It is generally recognized that an individual's behavior can be influenced by the knowledge they possess. However, empirical study has not reported an association between poultry producers' awareness of HPAI symptoms and their actual biosecurity actions. The aim of this study is to classify knowledge items of HPAI by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and to examine the determinants of different types of knowledge and the effect of different types of knowledge on biosecurity preventive behaviors (BPBs). The survey (n = 297) was conducted using a questionnaire to measure the level of awareness of items related to HPAI and the actual adoption of BPBs among poultry farmers in the Chinese province of Jiangsu. The EFA revealed three main types of knowledge, which were categorized as avian influenza (AI) epidemic characteristics, primary biosecurity preventive knowledge (basic biosecurity preventive knowledge against AI), and essential biosecurity preventive knowledge (crucial biosecurity preventive knowledge against infection of AI). Multivariate regression showed that only poultry farmers' awareness of essential biosecurity preventive knowledge was positively associated with their actual BPBs. Additionally, educational attainment, number of years of experience raising poultry, farming operation size, and training were associated both with BPB and most of the knowledge factors or knowledge items. Training of existing poultry farmers is probably a feasible scheme; furthermore, the training should focus on the essential biosecurity preventive knowledge. On the other hand, policy initiatives to encourage large-scale poultry farming while discouraging small-scale backyard poultry husbandry would be an effective method of improving the management standards of rural poultry farming.

Rapid, direct determination of strontium in natural waters by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

We report a LIBS technique for Sr determination in different types of natural waters, which provides sufficient sensitivity for strontium quantification in marine studies, and for the safety control of drinking waters.

Synthesis and Characterization of Nanopore MoVI-Imprinted Polymer and Its Application as Solid Phase for Extraction, Separation and Preconcentration of Molybdenum Ions from Water Samples

The purpose of this study is to prepare a new ion imprinted polymer for MoVI with high selectivity. Ion-imprinted polymer (IIP) particles were synthesized by thermally copolymerization. For the synthesis of the ion imprinted polymer, the ion pair of (MoVI-thiocyanate) and NR4+ was used. The ion pair was precipitated in an aqueous phase and then dissolved in acetonitrile as a porogen. The imprinted ion was removed using 10% (v/v) methanol in HCl (0.5 mol L-1). The unleached and leached IIP particles were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, surface area analysis, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The use of the new MoVI-IIP in solid phase extraction revealed a maximum adsorption capacity of 3.77 mg MoVIper gram of MoVI-IIP in optimum conditions of extraction. The selectivity coefficients of the IIP for Mo in comparison with other metal ions were also evaluated. The proposed Mo-IIP was successfully applied for MoVI determination in different types of water samples.

Determinants of conflict on Wisconsin School Boards

In this article, we use original survey data from Wisconsin school board members to determine the extent of conflict present on Wisconsin school boards and the determinants of different types of perceived board conflict. School boards, by virtue of overseeing a public good with readily measurable performance variables, offer an ideal case for testing a relationship between board governance performance and conflict. Using multivariate regression analysis, we find that that the perceived level of conflict on Wisconsin school boards is dependent on the quality of superintendent–board relations, the demographic profile of the school district overseen by the school board, and the age and experience level of school board members. Notably, we do not find a clear relationship between conflict and measures of school district academic performance.

SELF-REPORTED MORBIDITY AND BURDEN OF DISEASE IN UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA: EVIDENCE FROM A NATIONAL SAMPLE SURVEY AND THE MILLION DEATHS STUDY.

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state with a population of 200 million. Any change in its fertility and mortality is bound to bring change at the national level. This study analysed the burden of disease in the state by calculating the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) for infectious and non-communicable diseases. Data were from two rounds (52nd and 60th) of the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) survey conducted in 1995-96 and 2004, respectively, and the Million Deaths Study (MDS) of 2001-03. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify the determinants of different types of self-reported morbidity and DALY. The results show that in Uttar Pradesh the prevalence of all selected self-reported infectious and non-communicable diseases increased over the study period from 1995 to 2004, and in most cases by more than two times. The highest observed increase in prevalence was in non-communicable diseases excluding CVDs, which increased from 7% in 1995 to 19% in 2004. The prevalence was higher for those aged 60 and above, females, those who were illiterate and rich across the time period and for all selected morbidities. The results were significant at p<0.001. The estimation of the DALY revealed that the burden of infectious diseases was higher during infancy, noticeably among males than females in 2002. However, females aged 1-5 years were more likely to report infectious diseases than corresponding males. The age distribution of the DALY indicated that individuals aged below 5 years and above 60 years were more susceptible to ill health. The growing incidence of non-communicable diseases, especially among the older generation, puts an additional burden on the health system in the state. Uttar Pradesh has to grapple with the unresolved problem of preventable infectious diseases on the one hand and the growth in non-communicable disease on the other.

Analytical Methodologies for the Determination of Midazolam in Pharmaceuticals

Benzodiazepines are drugs with hypnotic, anticonvulsant and tranquilizing properties and are prescribed worldwide for the therapy of anxiety, sleep disorders, and convulsive attacks. Midazolam (MDZ) is a commonly used benzodiazepine in clinical practice. Numerous methods have been reported for their determination in different types of samples. The aim of this paper is to review the different methods validated for the establishment of the stability of pharmaceutical preparations so they can be used to study samples used in clinical practice that are not covered in the official label information of the product. This review covers a selection of the literature published on determination of midazolam in pharmaceutical dosage forms from the 1990s decade. The main goal of most research on analytical determinations of MDZ in pharmaceutical preparations is to establish the stability of the drug. The aim of these studies was to set up and validate an analytical method, able to separate and quantify the drug mixtures under study to assess both the compatibility and the stability of MDZ when mixed with other drugs, and to provide recommendations for the appropriate storage conditions.

Synthesis and characterization of a surface-grafted Cd(II) ion-imprinted polymer for selective separation of Cd(II) ion from aqueous solution

A novel Cd(II) ion-imprinted polymer (Cd(II)-IIP) was prepared with surface imprinting technology by using cadmium chloride as a template and allyl thiourea (ATU) as a functional monomer for on-line solid-phase extraction of trace Cd(II) ion and selective separation Cd(II) ion in water samples. The Cd(II)-IIP exhibited good chemical performance and thermal stability. Kinetics studies showed that the equilibrium adsorption was achieved within 8.0min and the adsorption process can be described by pseudo-second-order kinetic model. Compared to the Cd(II) non-imprinted polymer (Cd(II)-NIP), the Cd(II)-IIP had a higher adsorption capacity and selectivity for Cd(II) ion. The maximum adsorption capacities of the Cd(II)-IIP and Cd(II)-NIP for Cd(II) were 38.30 and 13.21mgg−1, respectively. The relative selectivity coefficients of the adsorbent for Cd(II) in the presence of Cu2+, Ni2+, Co2+, Pb2+ and Zn2+ were 2.86, 6.42, 11.50, 9.46 and 3.73, respectively. In addition, the Cd(II) ion adsorbed was easy to remove from sorbent and the Cd(II)-IIP exhibited good stability and reusability. The adsorption capacity had no obvious decrease after being used six times. The accuracy of this method was verified by the standard reference material, it was then applied for cadmium ion determination in different types of water samples.

A low-cost and simple paper-based microfluidic device for simultaneous multiplex determination of different types of chemical contaminants in food

It is difficult to carry out multiple detection of different type of chemicals because of the different chemical microenvironment requirements. Herein, a low-cost and simple paper-based microfluidic device integrated with fluorescence labeled single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) functionalized graphene oxide sensor was developed for the multiplex determination of different types of chemical contaminants in food. In this work, Cy5 labeled corresponding functional ssDNA for different analytes associated with graphene oxide (ssDNA-GO) were employed as core detection sensors to sensitively report the presence of the different type of chemicals as well as enlarge the chemical compatibility, which made it possible to simultaneous detect multiple chemicals under a same chemical microenvironment. Paper microfluidic device can be easily fabricated and paper substrate also facilitated the integration of ssDNA-GO sensors via physical absorption. This device has been successfully applied in multiplex detection of heavy metal mercury (II) ion (Hg2+) and silver (I) ion (Ag+) and aminoglycoside antibiotics residues in food. It also provided enormous potential for applications of environmental monitoring and clinical diagnosis.

Financial, governance and environmental determinants of corporate social responsible disclosure

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the vital determinants on the extent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure in a US context. The selected variables are CEO duality, the presence of women in the board, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, emission reduction initiatives, company's risk premium, financial leverage and industry's profile.Design/methodology/approach– The environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure score is used as a proxy for the extent of CSR disclosure calculated by Bloomberg. The influence of plausible variables on the ESG disclosure score and its sub-categories was examined by using the least squares dummy variable model (LSDV) incorporating 100 companies listed on Standard &amp; Poor's 500 Index for the period 2009-2012.Findings– The results show that the emission reduction initiatives and GHG emissions influence positively the extent of ESG score. In addition, slight differences exist concerning the determinants of different types of disclosures. Furthermore, it is illustrated that a company's industrial profile seems to have differences among the extent of the different types of disclosure.Research limitations/implications– The sample of companies is based on the US companies incorporating only large-sized ones.Originality/value– The study extends previous studies with the inclusion of both traditional and innovative determinants of the CSR disclosure in USA taking into account four years of corporate data. A third party rating approach was adopted in order to calculate the extent of CSR disclosure. Finally, both the shareholders’ and the investors’ attitudes in relation to CSR disclosure are presented.

Structural and functional alterations of cellular components as revealed by electron microscopy

Scanning (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are two fundamental microscopic techniques widely applied in biological research for the study of ultrastructural cell components. With these methods, especially TEM, it is possible to detect and quantify the morphological and ultrastructural parameters of intracellular organelles (mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, peroxisomes, endosomes, endoplasmic reticulum, cytoskeleton, nucleus, etc.) in normal and pathological conditions. The study of intracellular vesicle compartmentalization is raising even more interest in the light of the importance of intracellular localization of mediators of the signaling in eliciting different biological responses. The study of the morphology of some intracellular organelles can supply information on the bio-energetic status of the cells. TEM has also a pivotal role in the determination of different types of programmed cell death. In fact, the visualization of autophagosomes and autophagolysosomes is essential to determine the occurrence of autophagy (and also to discriminate micro-autophagy from macro-autophagy), while the presence of fragmented nuclei and surface blebbing is characteristic of apoptosis. SEM is particularly useful for the study of the morphological features of the cells and, therefore, can shed light, for instance, on cell-cell interactions. After a brief introduction on the basic principles of the main electron microscopy methods, the article describes some cell components with the aim to demonstrate the huge role of the ultrastructural analysis played in the knowledge of the relationship between function and structure of the biological objects.

Myrosinase activity in different plant samples; optimisation of measurement conditions for spectrophotometric and pH-stat methods

Myrosinase (EC 3.2.3.1) found in Brassicaceae plants, is the enzyme responsible for hydrolysis of glucosinolates. As a result a variety of biologically active metabolites are liberated, whose importance in crop protection and especially in cancer chemoprevention is rapidly gaining recognition. The growing practical application of glucosinolate degradation products requires that sensitive and reliable methods of myrosinase activity determination in different types of plant samples are established. With the use of commercial myrosinase prep, we systematically optimised conditions of measurement of this enzyme activity by spectrophotometric and pH-stat methods. The parameters evaluated included: sample preparation, choice of substrate, its concentration, reaction temperature and detection wavelength.Two substrates with different spectral properties were chosen: sinigrin (SIN) and glucotropaeolin (GTL). For both substrates, the best reliability was achieved at reaction temperature of 37°C and substrate concentration of 0.2mM and 5mM for spectrophotometric and pH-stat methods, respectively. GTL exhibiting higher absorption at the recommended detection wavelength of 230nm ensured greater sensitivity of spectrophotometric determination of myrosinase activity in the case of transparent plant samples. GTL seemed to increase also the sensitivity of pH-stat method, however, in this case homogenisation of plant samples turned out to be most important. The optimised conditions were then verified for a range of plant samples. Based on these results, the optimised protocols of myrosinase activity determination for both methods are proposed.

Childhood and adult socio‐economic position and social mobility as determinants of low back pain outcomes

Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent problem and tends to be socio-economically patterned. Relatively little is known about life-course socio-economic circumstances as determinants of different types of LBP. Our aim was to examine whether childhood and adult socio-economic position and social mobility are associated with radiating and non-specific LBP and sciatica. Data were derived from the Young Finns Study (n = 2231). Childhood socio-economic position was based on parental education, occupational class and family income at baseline in 1980. Data on own education and LBP outcomes were collected at the end of follow-up in 2007. Social mobility was based on parental and own education. Covariates were composed of age, parental body mass index and smoking. Both childhood and own socio-economic position remained associated with radiating LBP and sciatica after adjustments. However, the associations varied by socio-economic indicator and gender. Stable lower socio-economic position and downward mobility were associated with radiating LBP. Childhood socio-economic circumstances affect the risk of radiating LBP and sciatica in adulthood. To prevent low back disorders, early socio-economic circumstances need to be considered alongside own socio-economic position.

Automated regenerable microarray-based immunoassay for rapid parallel quantification of mycotoxins in cereals

An automated flow-through multi-mycotoxin immunoassay using the stand-alone Munich Chip Reader 3 platform and reusable biochips was developed and evaluated. This technology combines a unique microarray, prepared by covalent immobilization of target analytes or derivatives on diamino-poly(ethylene glycol) functionalized glass slides, with a dedicated chemiluminescence readout by a CCD camera. In a first stage, we aimed for the parallel detection of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, deoxynivalenol, and fumonisins in cereal samples in a competitive indirect immunoassay format. The method combines sample extraction with methanol/water (80:20, v/v), extract filtration and dilution, and immunodetection using horseradish peroxidase-labeled anti-mouse IgG antibodies. The total analysis time, including extraction, extract dilution, measurement, and surface regeneration, was 19 min. The prepared microarray chip was reusable for at least 50 times. Oat extract revealed itself as a representative sample matrix for preparation of mycotoxin standards and determination of different types of cereals such as oat, wheat, rye, and maize polenta at relevant concentrations according to the European Commission regulation. The recovery rates of fortified samples in different matrices, with 55-80 and 58-79%, were lower for the better water-soluble fumonisin B1 and deoxynivalenol and with 127-132 and 82-120% higher for the more unpolar aflatoxins and ochratoxin A, respectively. Finally, the results of wheat samples which were naturally contaminated with deoxynivalenol were critically compared in an interlaboratory comparison with data obtained from microtiter plate ELISA, aokinmycontrol® method, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and found to be in good agreement.

Nonlinear dynamics of a geometrically imperfect microbeam based on the modified couple stress theory

The present study investigates the nonlinear dynamics of a geometrically imperfect microbeam numerically on the basis of the modified couple stress theory. Hamilton’s principle is used to obtain the nonlinear partial differential equation of motion for an initially curved beam. The equation of motion is discretized and reduced to a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations by means of the Galerkin scheme. This set of equations is solved numerically by means of the pseudo-arclength continuation technique which allows the continuation of both stable and unstable solution branches as well as determination of different types of bifurcation. An eigenvalue analysis is also conducted to obtain the linear natural frequencies of the system. The frequency-response curves are constructed for the system with different initial imperfections. Moreover, the frequency-response curves of the system are plotted together as a specific system parameter is varied, in order to highlight the effect of each parameter on the resonant dynamics of the system.

Validation and application of a gas chromatographic method for determining fatty acids and trans fats in some bakery products

Absolute accuracy is needed when analyzing the fatty acid (FA) and trans fatty acid (TFA) in fats and food products because of their nutritional and health implications. Thus, A gas chromatographic method for the identification and quantification of FAs and TFAs based on the extraction of lipids and derivatization using base catalyzed followed by (trimethylsilyl)diazomethane (TMS-DM) was developed and validated. The proposed method was evaluated to a number of standard FAs including TFAs and five of bakery products commercially available in Malaysian market (biscuit, cooker, cracker, cake, and bread) were used for that purpose and to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method. In this regard, response linearity, sensitivity, precision and accuracy were all determined. Overall, the method was found to allow sensitive and accurate determination of different types of FAs and TFAs. Furthermore, R-values from all the samples were revealed to be close to 100%, repeatability (intra-day RSD) ranged between 0.98% and 3.61%, and reproducibility (inter-day RSD) values ranged between 1.24% and 4.18%. Thus, the procedure could be an accurate, precise and reliable method for analyzing FAs in several samples of dietary fat in bakery products.

Linear energy transfer and track pattern recognition of secondary radiation generated in hadron therapy beam in a PMMA target

Hadron therapy uses ion beams for irradiation of cancerous tissue taking advantage of the highly localized dose deposition in the target tumor. For a correct estimation of dose deposited in tissue surrounding the target it is necessary to consider also the contribution of energetic secondary radiation generated by primary ions. It was already experimentally demonstrated that this contribution can be measured using the semiconductor pixel detector Timepix (256 × 256 pixels with 55 μm pitch) visualizing traces of secondary particles. The resolving power of the detector enables the differentiation of traces of different types of particles. In this work we studied the possibilities of determination of different types of secondary particles in correlation with their flight direction. Such identification allows correct assignment of dose for each type of particle. The distribution of secondary particles was compared to Monte Carlo simulations. Measurements were performed with a PMMA target irradiated with a therapeutic carbon beam at the Heidelberg Ion-Beam Therapy Center (HIT).

Fluorine determination in different types of ivory by PIGE technique

Fluorine was determined by particle induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) technique with 2.3 MeV protons in elephant, mammoth, aquatic (walrus, pot whale, narwhal, hippopotamus) and archaeological ivory, with concentration varying between 55 ppm and 2.3 %. The characteristic variation of F concentration with species shows that it has the potential to serve as a marker in identifying different types of ivory. Additionally, Na concentration was also reported in all the analysed samples.