Banking compliance and dependence corruption: towards an attachment perspective

Why did banking compliance fail so badly in the recent financial crisis and why, according to many, does it continue to do so? Rather than point to the lack of oversight of individuals in bank compliance roles, as many commentators do, in this paper I examine in depth the organizational context that surrounded people in such roles. I focus on those compliance personnel who did speak out about risky practices in their banks, who were forced to escalate the problem and 'whistle-blow' to external parties, and who were punished for doing so. Drawing on recent empirical data from a wider study, I argue that the concept of dependence corruption is useful in this setting, and that it can be extended to encompass interpersonal attachments. This, in turn, problematises the concept of dependence corruption because interpersonal attachments in organisational settings are inevitable. The paper engages with recent debates on whether institutional corruption is an appropriate lens for studying private-sector organisations by arguing for a focus on roles, rather than remaining at the level of institutional fields or individual organisations. Finally, the paper contributes to studies on banking compliance in the context of the recent crisis; without a deeper understanding of those who were forced to extremes to simply do their jobs, reform of the banking sector will prove difficult.

Medication use review in Qatar: Are community pharmacists prepared for the extended professional role?

Background
The incidence of chronic illnesses is increasing globally. Non-adherence to medications and other medication-related problems are common among patients receiving long-term medications. Medication use review (MUR) is a service provision with an accredited pharmacist undertaking structured, adherence-centered reviews with patients receiving multiple medications. MUR services are not yet available in community pharmacies in Qatar.

Objective
The current study aims to evaluate community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and perception towards establishing MUR as an extended role in patient care.

Setting
Private community pharmacies in Qatar including chains and independent pharmacies.

Methodology
A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among licensed community pharmacists from December 2012 to January 2013. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Main outcome measures
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to MUR concept and services.

Results A total of 123 participants responded to the survey (response rate 56 %). The mean total knowledge score was 71.4 ± 14.7 %. An overwhelming proportion of the participants (97 %) were able to identify the scope of MUR in relation to chronic illnesses and at enhancing the quality of pharmaceutical care. Furthermore, 80 % of the respondents were able to identify patients of priority for inclusion in an MUR program. However, only 43 % of the participants knew that acute medical conditions were not the principal focus of an MUR service, while at least 97 % acknowledged that the provision of MUR services is a great opportunity for an extended role of community pharmacists and that MUR makes excellent use of the pharmacist's professional skills in the community. The participants generally reported concerns about time, dedicated consultation area, and support staff as significant barriers towards MUR implementation.

Conclusion
This study suggests that community pharmacists in Qatar had sufficient knowledge about the concept of MUR and its scope, but there were still important deficiencies that warrant further education. The findings have important implications on policy and practice pertaining to the implementation of MUR as an extended role of pharmacists and as part of Qatar's National Health Strategy to move primary health care forward.

Sediment accumulation rates in subarctic lakes: insights into age-depth modeling from 22 dated lake records from the Northwest Territories, Canada

Age-depth modeling using Bayesian statistics requires well-informed prior information about the behavior of sediment accumulation. Here we present average sediment accumulation rates (represented as deposition times, DT, in yr/cm) for lakes in an Arctic setting, and we examine the variability across space (intra- and inter-lake) and time (late Holocene). The dataset includes over 100 radiocarbon dates, primarily on bulk sediment, from 22 sediment cores obtained from 18 lakes spanning the boreal to tundra ecotone gradients in subarctic Canada. There are four to twenty-five radiocarbon dates per core, depending on the length and character of the sediment records. Deposition times were calculated at 100-year intervals from age-depth models constructed using the ‘classical’ age-depth modeling software Clam. Lakes in boreal settings have the most rapid accumulation (mean DT 20 ± 10 years), whereas lakes in tundra settings accumulate at moderate (mean DT 70 ± 10 years) to very slow rates, (>100 yr/cm). Many of the age-depth models demonstrate fluctuations in accumulation that coincide with lake evolution and post-glacial climate change. Ten of our sediment cores yielded sediments as old as c. 9,000 cal BP (BP = years before AD 1950). From between c. 9,000 cal BP and c. 6,000 cal BP, sediment accumulation was relatively rapid (DT of 20 to 60 yr/cm). Accumulation slowed between c. 5,500 and c. 4,000 cal BP as vegetation expanded northward in response to warming. A short period of rapid accumulation occurred near 1,200 cal BP at three lakes. Our research will help inform priors in Bayesian age modeling.

Evaluating the use of testate amoebae for palaeohydrological reconstruction in permafrost peatlands

The melting of high-latitude permafrost peatlands is a major concern due to a potential positive feedback on global climate change. We examine the ecology of testate amoebae in permafrost peatlands, based on sites in Sweden (~ 200 km north of the Arctic Circle). Multivariate statistical analysis confirms that water-table depth and moisture content are the dominant controls on the distribution of testate amoebae, corroborating the results from studies in mid-latitude peatlands. We present a new testate amoeba-based water table transfer function and thoroughly test it for the effects of spatial autocorrelation, clustered sampling design and uneven sampling gradients. We find that the transfer function has good predictive power; the best-performing model is based on tolerance-downweighted weighted averaging with inverse deshrinking (performance statistics with leave-one-out cross validation: R2 = 0.87, RMSEP = 5.25 cm). The new transfer function was applied to a short core from Stordalen mire, and reveals a major shift in peatland ecohydrology coincident with the onset of the Little Ice Age (c. AD 1400). We also applied the model to an independent contemporary dataset from Stordalen and find that it outperforms predictions based on other published transfer functions. The new transfer function will enable palaeohydrological reconstruction from permafrost peatlands in Northern Europe, thereby permitting greatly improved understanding of the long-term ecohydrological dynamics of these important carbon stores as well as their responses to recent climate change.

Ecology of testate amoebae in an Amazonian peatland and development of a transfer function for palaeohydrological reconstruction

Tropical peatlands represent globally important carbon sinks with a unique biodiversity and are currently threatened by climate change and human activities. It is now imperative that proxy methods are developed to understand the ecohydrological dynamics of these systems and for testing peatland development models. Testate amoebae have been used as environmental indicators in ecological and palaeoecological studies of peatlands, primarily in ombrotrophic Sphagnum-dominated peatlands in the mid- and high-latitudes. We present the first ecological analysis of testate amoebae in a tropical peatland, a nutrient-poor domed bog in western (Peruvian) Amazonia. Litter samples were collected from different hydrological microforms (hummock to pool) along a transect from the edge to the interior of the peatland. We recorded 47 taxa from 21 genera. The most common taxa are Cryptodifflugia oviformis, Euglypha rotunda type, Phryganella acropodia, Pseudodifflugia fulva type and Trinema lineare. One species found only in the southern hemisphere, Argynnia spicata, is present. Arcella spp., Centropyxis aculeata and Lesqueresia spiralis are indicators of pools containing standing water. Canonical correspondence analysis and non-metric multidimensional scaling illustrate that water table depth is a significant control on the distribution of testate amoebae, similar to the results from mid- and high-latitude peatlands. A transfer function model for water table based on weighted averaging partial least-squares (WAPLS) regression is presented and performs well under cross-validation (r 2apparent=0.76,RMSE=4.29;r2jack=0.68,RMSEP=5.18. The transfer function was applied to a 1-m peat core, and sample-specific reconstruction errors were generated using bootstrapping. The reconstruction generally suggests near-surface water tables over the last 3,000 years, with a shift to drier conditions at c. cal. 1218-1273 AD

A techno-economic evaluation of changing from conventional vehicles to range extended electric vehicles

Transportation accounts for 22% of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, and increases to 25% in Northern Ireland. Surface transport carbon dioxide emissions, consisting of road and rail, are dominated by cars. Demand for mobility is rising rapidly and vehicle numbers are expected to more than double by 2050. Car manufacturers are working towards reducing their carbon footprint through improving fuel efficiency and controlling exhaust emissions. Fuel efficiency is now a key consideration of consumers purchasing a new vehicle. While measures have been taken to help to reduce pollutants, in the future, alternative technologies will have to be used in the transportation industry to achieve sustainability. There are currently many alternatives to the market leader, the internal combustion engine. These alternatives include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and electric vehicles, a term which is widely used to cover battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and extended-range electric vehicles. This study draws direct comparisons measuring the differing performance in terms of fuel consumption, carbon emissions and range of a typical family saloon car using different fuel types. These comparisons will then be analysed to see what effect switching from a conventionally fuelled vehicle to a range extended electric vehicle would have not only on the end user, but also the UK government.

Distal tephrochronology in volcanic regions: Challenges and insights from Kamchatkan lake sediments

Kamchatka is one of the world’s most active volcanic regions and has hosted many explosive eruptions during the Holocene. These eruptions had the potential to disperse tephra over wide areas, forming time-synchronous markers wherever those tephras are found. Recent research in Kamchatka has begun to focus on the geochemical analysis of individual glass shards in order to characterise tephra layers. We have applied this approach to the study of visible tephras from three lakes – one in central and two in northern Kamchatka – with the aim of identifying key tephras and potential issues in the application of distal (>100 km from an active volcano) tephra in volcanically complex regions. In total, 23 tephras from 22 tephra beds have been geochemically analysed, representing products from at least four volcanic systems in Kamchatka. We demonstrate that distal lake sediments in the region can yield reliable tephrostratigraphies, capturing tephra from eruptions that have the greatest potential to disperse volcanic ash beyond the region. We draw attention to issues relating to correlating and distinguishing key marker horizons from the highly active Shiveluch Volcano, namely the need to ensure inter-lab comparability of geochemical data and good chronological control of the proximal and distal tephras. Importantly, we have also extended the known distribution of two key tephra isochrons from the Ksudach volcano. Our work contributes valuable glass geochemical on data several key marker beds that will facilitate future tephra and palaeoenvironmental research within and beyond Kamchatka.

Practicing peace: Psychological roots of transforming conflicts

The practice of sustainable peace is a process that must be initiated, nourished and revised. The
“social energies” of conflict transformation – truth, mercy, justice, peace – offer a useful model to describe the transformative power of this practice. These social energies can be conceptualized as a combination of norms or values, on the one hand, and actions directed toward social reconstruction, on the other. As such, the social energies of conflict transformation are both the guideposts and the engine in the journey of practicing sustainable peace. This article begins by
linking psychological constructs of narrative/voice, empathy/altruism, individual/collective guilt, and security/fear with the social energies, highlighting the interdependence of processes and shifting the focus away from pathology toward an emphasis on harmony. An empirical application of how the four social energies contribute to the mobilization, maintenance and adaptations in on-going peace processes in post-war Guatemala is then presented. By analyzing the interaction among diverse actors and goals in the decade and a half since the signing of the 1996 Peace Accords, current theory is extended in two ways: a) differentiation between elite and grassroots initiatives, and b) specification and evaluation the impact of various efforts on episodic and structural violence. We conclude that although national and local processes have
had limited success, more integrated practices of truth, mercy, justice and peace are necessary if Guatemala is to make sustainable peace a reality. The findings from this case study have policy and practical implications for other countries facing protracted, violent conflict.

Hui and Walter's latent-class model extended to estimate diagnostic test properties from surveillance data: a latent model for latent data

Diagnostic test sensitivity and specificity are probabilistic estimates with far reaching implications for disease control, management and genetic studies. In the absence of 'gold standard' tests, traditional Bayesian latent class models may be used to assess diagnostic test accuracies through the comparison of two or more tests performed on the same groups of individuals. The aim of this study was to extend such models to estimate diagnostic test parameters and true cohort-specific prevalence, using disease surveillance data. The traditional Hui-Walter latent class methodology was extended to allow for features seen in such data, including (i) unrecorded data (i.e. data for a second test available only on a subset of the sampled population) and (ii) cohort-specific sensitivities and specificities. The model was applied with and without the modelling of conditional dependence between tests. The utility of the extended model was demonstrated through application to bovine tuberculosis surveillance data from Northern and the Republic of Ireland. Simulation coupled with re-sampling techniques, demonstrated that the extended model has good predictive power to estimate the diagnostic parameters and true herd-level prevalence from surveillance data. Our methodology can aid in the interpretation of disease surveillance data, and the results can potentially refine disease control strategies.

A multi-proxy chronological reconstruction of palaeosalinity in the eastern Limfjord, Denmark

The Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark is home to the Limfjord, one of the largest estuarine bodies of water in the region. Human inhabitance of the Limfjord’s surrounding coastlines stretches back further than 7,800 cal BP, with anthropogenic influence on the landscape beginning approximately 6,000 cal BP. Understanding how the Limfjord as a system has changed throughout time is useful in comprehending subsistence patterns and anthropogenic influence. This research is part of a larger project aimed at discerning subsistence patterns and environmental change in the region. Following the Younger Dryas, as the Fennoscandian ice sheet began to melt, Denmark experienced isostatic rebound, which contributed to the complex sea level history in the region. Between ice melt and isostatic rebound, the Jutland peninsula experienced many transgression and regression events. Connections to surrounding seas have shifted throughout time, with most attention focused on the western connection of the Limfjord with the North Sea, which has experienced numerous closures and subsequent re-openings throughout the Holocene. Furthermore, the Limfjord-North Sea connection has been the focal point of research because of the west to east water flow in the system, and the present day higher salinity in the west compared to the east. Little to no consideration has been paid to the influence of the Kattegat and Baltic on the Limfjord until now. A 10m sediment core was taken from Sebbersund (near Nibe, Limfjord), along the connection between the Limfjord and the Kattegat in the east to understand how the eastern part of the system has changed and differed from changes observed in the west. The Sebbersund sequence spans a majority of the Holocene, from 9600 cal BP to 1030 cal BP, determined via radiocarbon dating of terrestrial macrofossils and bulk sediment. Over this time period palaeoenvironmental conditions were reconstructed through the use of geochemical analyses (13C, 15N, C:N), physical sediment analyses, dinoflagellate cyst abundances and molluscan analyses. apart from two instances of low salinity, one at the top and one at the bottom of the core, the sequence has a strong marine signal for a majority of the Holocene. Radiocarbon dating of bulk sediment samples showed the presence of old carbon in the system, creating an age offset between 1,300 ± 200 and 2,800 ± 200 calibrated 14C years compared to the age-depth curve based on the terrestrial macrofossils. This finding, along with the strong marine influence in the system, discerned through geochemical data, dinoflagellate cyst and mollusc counts, is important for obtaining accurate radiocarbon ages in the region and stresses the importance of understanding both the marine and freshwater reservoir effects. The marine dominance in the eastern Limfjord differs from the west, which is characterized by a number of freshwater events when the North Sea connection was closed off during the Holocene. The eastern connection was open to the Kattegat throughout a large portion of the Holocene, with influx of open ocean water entering the system during periods of higher sea level.