The objective of this study was to analyze the quality of climate information disclosed by companies and the impression management strategies they have developed to justify or conceal negative ...aspects of their performance. The study is based on a qualitative content analysis of the sustainability reports of 21 energy-sector companies that use the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) with A or A+ application levels over a period of 5 years (n = 105). It contributes to the literature on climate disclosure by demonstrating the ineffectiveness of the external assurance process in ensuring the quality and representativeness of the data. Significant non-compliance with GRI standards was identified in 86 of the 93 reports audited by a third party. In addition, six of the 21 companies surveyed were found to disclose increasingly opaque information over time, concealing information on the measurement and methodology used. Through this study, four impression management strategies were identified. These are employed either to justify certain information (by minimizing impacts, excuses and commitment) or to conceal it (through strategic omissions and manipulation of figures). In exposing the high incidence of non-compliance in GRI reporting and the use of impression management strategies by companies, this study shows that it will be difficult or impossible for stakeholders to reasonably assess, monitor and compare companies' climate performance on the basis of these reports.
Summary The success of solid organ transplantation has brought about burgeoning waiting lists with insufficient donation rates and substantial waiting list mortality. All countries have strived to ...expand donor numbers beyond the standard Donation after Brain Death (DBD). This has lead to the utilization of Donation after Cardiac Death (DCD) donors, also frequently referred to as Non-Heart Beating Donors (NHBD). Organs from these donors inevitably sustain warm ischaemic damage which varies in its extent and affects early graft function as well as graft survival. As a consequence, ‘non-vital’ organs such as renal transplants have increased rapidly from DCD donors but more ‘vital’ organ transplants such as the liver have lagged behind. However, an increasing proportion of liver transplants are now derived from DCD donors. This article covers this expansion, current results, pitfalls, and steps taken to minimize complications and to improve outcome, and future developments that are likely to occur.
In 2013, Québec implemented a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions trading system (QC ETS), despite opposition from industry, which feared loss of competitiveness and warned about job destruction. This ...article assesses the impact of that carbon regulation on industrial facilities in Québec. Conditional difference-in-differences ordinary least squares regressions show that regulated plants reduced their GHG emissions by about 9.8%, employment by about 6.8% and carbon intensity by about 3.7% more compared to non-regulated plants in the rest of Canada during the period 2013-2015. This suggests that facilities adapted to the new program by improving their technology, but first and foremost by scaling down their activity, which raises questions about the ability of the QC ETS to induce enough environmental investment and innovation in industrial facilities. The results, in terms of employment effects, contrast with the findings of similar studies on the early stages of the European ETS and the British Columbia carbon tax scheme, and this information challenges the initial allocation scheme for permits, in particular, with a view to a green fiscal reform.
This paper explores the justifications and impression management strategies that industrial companies use to rationalize their impacts on climate change. These strategies influence the perceptions of ...stakeholders through the use of techniques of neutralization intended to legitimize the impacts of corporate operations in the area of climate change. Based on a qualitative and inductive approach, 10 case studies were conducted of large Canadian industrial emitters. Interviews were conducted with managers and environmental specialists (n = 32). Public documentation was also collected when available. This study identifies six main neutralization techniques that industrial emitters use to rationalize their impacts: self-proclaimed excellence, promotion of a systemic view, denial and minimization, denouncing unfair treatment and deceptive appearances, economic and technological blackmail, and blaming others. The paper develops a better understanding of corporate arguments and strategies aimed at influencing the perceptions of stakeholders, including policymakers. The study also contributes to the literature on impression management by shedding light on new strategies and techniques of neutralization used by managers to shape the perceptions of stakeholders on socially sensitive issues.
Background
There remains a lack of consensus on the optimal storage method for deceased donor kidneys. This meta‐analysis compares storage with hypothermic machine perfusion (HMP) vs traditional ...static cold storage (SCS).
Methods
The Cochrane Kidney and Transplant Specialised Register was searched to identify (quasi‐) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to include in our meta‐analysis. PRISMA guidelines were used to perform and write this review.
Results
There is high‐certainty evidence that HMP reduces the risk of delayed graft function (DGF) when compared to SCS (2138 participants from 14 studies, RR = 0.77; 0.67‐0.90, P = .0006). This benefit is significant in both donation following circulatory death (DCD; 772 patients from seven studies, RR = 0.75; 0.64‐0.87, P = .0002) and donation following brainstem death (DBD) grafts (971 patients from four studies, RR = 0.78; 0.65‐0.93, P = .006). The number of perfusions required to prevent one episode of DGF was 7.26 and 13.60 in DCD and DBD grafts, respectively. There is strong evidence that HMP also improves graft survival in both DBD and DCD grafts, at both 1 and 3 years. Economic analyses suggest HMP is cost‐saving at 1 year compared with SCS.
Conclusion
Hypothermic machine perfusion is superior to SCS in deceased donor renal transplantation. Direct comparisons with normothermic machine perfusion in RCTs are essential to identify optimal preservation methods in kidney transplantation.
This study presents, a three-dimensional dynamic load distribution model of planetary gear sets, which can capture the influence of several component and system level design variations. A numerical ...integration scheme is used in conjunction with an iterative elastic contact algorithm to solve the multibody dynamics problem. This approach inherently captures the mesh stiffness fluctuation, without the need for an empirical mesh stiffness formulation or transmission error excitation of the system. The unique dynamic response of the parametrically excited system under various gear mesh phasing conditions is studied using the proposed model. Influence of gear tooth modifications and carrier pin position errors on the dynamics of the gearset is explored, also a brief study to demonstrate the model's capability to capture contact non-linearities in the case of low contact ratio gear sets is included. Discussed results not only illustrate the validity and potential of the proposed dynamic model but also reinforce the need for such computationally efficient models for design purposes.
•Efficient contact model for planetary gears, with carrier and shaft compliance included.•Gear mesh load distribution can become heavily skewed, due to carrier deformations.•Additional compliance due ...to carrier flexibility improves load sharing among planet branches.•Significant change in the dynamic response is observed due to inclusion of carrier flexibility.
Structural deformations in a planet carrier under operating conditions results in misalignment of planet gears, which can significantly effect the gear mesh load distribution and load sharing of a planetary gear set. Therefore, to capture the influence of structural compliance associated with planet carrier, planet pin, and input/output shaft, a hybrid planetary dynamic load distribution model is developed in this paper. Finite element sub-structuring techniques are employed to ensure that the model is computational efficiency. The proposed model employs a simplex algorithm to iteratively solve for the elastic gear mesh contacts in conjunction with a numerical integration scheme, which enables it to inherently capture the influence of several component and system level design variations without the need for an empirical mesh stiffness formulation or transmission error excitation of the system. The developed formulation is used to study the effects of planet carrier flexibility on both the quasi-static and dynamic response of planetary gearsets. The discussed results not only illustrate the influence of carrier flexibility on the system response but also highlight the need for such computationally efficient models which could be used as design tools.
The objective of this study is to identify the best practices of Facebook use for municipalities looking to communicate and interact with their citizens, with a particular impact for rural ...municipalities. A narrative review was conducted to identify the scientific and gray literature on research databases and Google, respectively. A thematic analysis of the data was conducted to summarize the main strengths, challenges, and recommendations to improve municipalities’ Facebook use. Our results showed many benefits of Facebook use for municipalities and elected officials, such as communicating efficiently with citizens. The main challenge identified was developing an effective communication strategy. Finally, several recommendations were found, such as making Facebook posts that appeal to citizens and promote discussion. These results will be useful in helping municipalities develop an effective Facebook communication strategy to improve online engagement and citizen participation for local governments.
Splined joints are commonly used to transmit rotary motion from a shaft to machine elements such as gears. While computationally efficient spline load distribution models have recently been proposed, ...there is no validated load distribution model of a splined joint due to lack of high-fidelity experimental data. Accordingly, this study aims to establish an extensive experimental database on load distributions of splined joints subject to both spur and helical gear loading conditions. A quasi-static, spline-specific test setup is developed and instrumented. A test matrix covering various loading conditions is executed in order to form a spline load distribution database. The experimental data illustrates the cyclic nature of loads and resultant stresses on spline teeth caused by rotation of the spline teeth in relation to the gear mesh that loads the splined joint. A nonlinear relationship between torque applied and resultant stress is revealed, as well as the relationship between the location of maximum stress along the face width and the amount of lead crown modification applied. Lastly, simulation results from the model of Hong et al. (2014b) are compared to the experimental data under spur and helical gear loading conditions to assess the premise of such models.
Abstract Objectives This study audited pregnancies where the mother received tinzaparin (at any stage before delivery), with a primary objective of determining the maternal safety of this low ...molecular weight heparin when administered as treatment and/or prophylaxis; the secondary objective was to audit fetal and neonatal safety in this cohort. Efficacy outcomes were also recorded. Study design The audit period was 1996–2009; consecutive, retrospective pregnancy records at participating hospitals were reviewed. For those records documenting tinzaparin use and pregnancy outcome, information was extracted into a standardised case report form; these were reviewed for adverse events, which were submitted for adjudication by independent experts in obstetric medicine and haematology. Endpoints were presented using descriptive statistics for all pregnancies, and by reason for tinzaparin use (treatment of venous thromboembolism VTE and prophylaxis). Results There were 28 participating hospital centres in eight countries (Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and the UK). Data were collected from 1267 pregnancies (1120 women; 1303 fetuses); in 254 pregnancies the women received tinzaparin as treatment (median dose 13,000 international units IU/day, range 3500–23,100 IU/day; median duration 72 days; 94.1% once-daily), and in 1013 pregnancies the women received tinzaparin for prophylaxis (median dose 4500 IU/day, range 2500–21,811 IU/day, median duration 183 days, 94.6% once-daily). There were 871 (70.2%) vaginal deliveries (78 assisted) and 369 (29.8%) caesarean sections (27 delivery data missing). Overall, 495 (39.3%) women had neuraxial anaesthesia; however, there were no reported associated haematomas. There were no maternal deaths. Of pregnancies with available data (1060), 86.9% had blood loss ≤500 mL, 11.0% of >500 to ≤1000 mL, 0.9% >1000 to ≤1500 mL and 1.1% >1500 mL. There were 1245 (95.5%) live births, 15 (1.2%) stillbirths, 40 (3.1%) miscarriages and 3 (0.2%) terminations. Six (0.5%) neonatal deaths occurred (five at <27 weeks, one Ebstein's anomaly). No neonatal haemorrhages occurred. Adjudicated safety outcomes included 125 (9.9%) ‘any bleeding’ cases considered related to tinzaparin; 16 (1.3%) of these required medical intervention. In the treatment group, five (2%) recurrent VTEs were reported and 10 (1%) occurred in the prophylaxis group. Conclusions These data provide reassuring maternal and fetal outcome information in pregnancies exposed to tinzaparin.
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