This paper investigates the relationship between intellectual capital disclosure and corporate governance variables, controlling for other firm-specific characteristics, for a sample of 100 UK listed firms. Intellectual capital disclosure is measured by a disclosure index score, supported by word count and percentage of word count metrics to assess the variety, volume and focus of intellectual capital disclosure respectively. The independent variables comprise various forms of corporate governance structure: board composition, ownership structure, audit committee size and frequency of audit committee meetings, and CEO role duality. Results of the analysis based on the three measures of intellectual capital disclosure indicate significant association with all the governance factors except for role duality. The influence of corporate governance mechanisms on human, structural and relational capital disclosure, based on all three metrics, is also explored.

This study investigates product innovation in market-seeking international joint ventures (IJVs) in a large emerging market, and tests two sets of hypotheses: organizational orientation and environmental adaptation. Drawing on organizational ecology theory, we suggest that IJVs’ product innovation can be understood as a consequence of organizational orientation defined by IJV contract specifications and as a subsequent response to major contingencies of the local environment. Empirically, we analyzed a longitudinal dataset consisting of 3555 IJVs in China from 1999 to 2003, and found strong support for both sets of hypotheses. Product innovation in IJVs is positively associated with initial conditions such as balanced ownership structure, state partnership, and project size; IJVs are more innovative when they operate in an industry with a faster pace of innovation or a higher level of foreign direct investment legitimization, and where they are located in a region with greater agglomerated innovative activities. Journal of International Business Studies (2008) 39, 1114–1132. doi:10.1057/jibs.2008.51

Background: General practitioners (GPs) play a significant role in dementia care. However, the knowledge and attitudes of them towards dementia care are poorly characterized. The present study aimed to investigate GPs' knowledge, attitudes and skills of dementia care in primary health settings in Beijing. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 27 community health service centers (CHSCs) in Beijing. The GPs' knowledge, attitudes and skills were assessed utilizing the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS), Dementia Care Attitude Scale (DCAS) and self-designed questionnaire, respectively. Results: A total of 341 participants returned the questionnaire. The overall mean score of GPs' dementia knowledge measured by the ADKS was 21.42 (SD = 2.73) out of 30 (71.4%), GPs' attitudes to dementia care was 36.25 (SD = 5.12) out of 50 (72.5%), and GPs' self-confidence on dementia care skills was 53.93 (SD = 9.57) out of 75 (71.9%). GPs' overall knowledge towards dementia care was limited and the attitudes were generally positive. They had low level recognition of their roles towards dementia care. The majority of GPs believed that dementia care was within a specialist's domain not that of general practice. Conclusion: GPs demonstrate low levels of dementia knowledge and skills, but express generally positive attitudes towards dementia in this study. It is much needed to translate detailed dementia care handbook, and adequate dementia knowledge training for GPs into practice to improve care outcomes for people with dementia in China. In addition, dementia management should be covered in the national basic package of public health services in primary care.

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(2015) Liposomal co-delivery of daptomycin and clarithromycin at an optimized ratio for treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus infection, Drug Delivery, 22:5, 627-637, DOI: 10.3109/10717544.2014 CD]) at an optimized mass ratio of 1:32 were generated and characterized using dynamic light scattering and electron microscopy. In vitro and in vivo approaches were used to compare liposome effects on MRSA. Results: PL[CD] were stable, with a mean (±SD) vesicle diameter of 98.2 ± 2.21 nm and encapsulation efficiency of 94.71 ± 1.37% (daptomycin) and 92.94 ± 1.21% (clarithromycin). Compared with daptomycin-only liposomes, PL [CD] showed significantly enhanced anti-MRSA activity in vitro and significantly reduced MRSA bacterial load and increased host survival in vivo. Discussion: Co-delivery of daptomycin with clarithromycin produced significant anti-MRSA activity in the presence of only one-thirtieth of the concentration required in liposomes containing daptomycin only. Conclusion: These findings suggested that concurrent liposomal delivery of daptomycin and clarithromycin has the potential to be an effective and less toxic treatment for MRSA infections.

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The concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in soils near a lead-zinc mine located in Shangyu, Zhejiang Province, China, were determined and their toxicity was assessed using the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure (TCLP) developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The TCLP method is a currently recognized international method for evaluation of heavy metal pollution in soils. The available levels of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd were 8.2-36, 23-143, 6.4-1367 and 0.41-2.2 mg kg(-1), respectively, while the international standards were 15, 25, 5 and 0.5 mg kg(-1), respectively. Soils around the mine were more polluted with Zn and Pb, followed by Cd and Cu. Moreover, the levels of heavy metals in the soils extracted by TCLP indicated that extraction fluid 2 was more effective than extraction fluid 1 in extracting the heavy metals from the polluted soils and there was a positive correlation between fluids 1 and 2. Available heavy metal contents determined by TCLP were correlated with soil total heavy metal contents.