The Structural Elaboration of Board Independence: Executive Power, Institutional Logics, and the Adoption of CEO-Only Board Structures in U.S. Corporate Governance

This study builds on structural elaboration theory by developing a model to explain the adoption of board structures that appear to conform to the prevailing institutional logic, but which in fact contradict it. We test our theory with the case of CEO-only board structures, a formal increase in board independence that prior research has shown to lead to greater CEO entrenchment rather than increased shareholder value. Using an event history analysis of the Fortune 250 over a 27-year period, we examine three mechanisms that drive its adoption: executive interests, executive power, and elaboration opportunities. We show that the CEO-only structure is more likely to occur in firms in which a higher proportion of insiders predate the CEO, and in which the CEO has greater formal power and agenda control. We also find that powerful CEOs are more likely to realize the structural change following institutional opportunities, such as the passage of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and organizational contingencies, such as positive changes in firm performance. By exploring the mechanisms leading to the proliferation of the CEO-only structure, our study contributes to sociopolitical perspectives on corporate governance, as well as to theories of institutional logics and structural elaboration

Computational and experimental assessment of public dose from normal research reactor operations [abstract]

Abstract only availableThe Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) in Columbia, Missouri is interested in the amount of the Argon-41 being produced and released to the environment. The objective of this work is to know what operations within the facility are contributing to this production and the quantities released. I'll be working in collaboration with Jeancarlo Torres (Computational Assessment) and Erick Scheerer (Experimental Assessment) in determining these parameters. The calculational work analyzes the distribution of releases from the stack at the MURR. The dose is then predicted with the Comply program. EPA's Comply model was developed based on the procedures in the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements Commentary No.3 (NCRP89). The Comply computer software may be used to demonstrate compliance with the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPS) in 40 CFR 61 Subpart I and H. Comply calculates the effective dose equivalent (EDE) from radionuclide released from stacks and vents. The Nuclear Activation Analysis (NAA) is used in the experimental assessment of Argon-41 production. Neutron Activation Analysis is a nuclear process used for determining concentrations of elements in a vast amount of materials. NAA allows discrete sampling of elements as it disregards chemical form of a sample and focuses solely on its nucleus. NAA is a sensitive analytical technique useful for performing both qualitative and quantitative multi-element analysis for mayor, minor and trace elements in samples from almost every conceivable field of scientific or technical interest. Using NAA we will irradiate air samples from around the facility to determine the concentration of natural Ar-40 to produce Ar-41 for measurement. The relationship between these two different projects is that the results of the experimental technique will indicate if excess argon is present in the facility and the computational technique will calculate the dose the activation of Ar-40 to Ar-41 may have on the environment

Environmental report actualization for the license renewal of the University of Missouri Research Reactor Center

Abstract only availableLicensing requirements for power as well as non-power reactors must address environmental concerns related to radioactive emissions. The purpose and need for the renewal of the operating license for the Missouri University Research Reactor (MURR) is to allow continued studies in nuclear related undergraduate and graduate level degree programs along with continued production of radioactive isotopes for cancer treatment and research for an additional 20 years beyond the current license of 40 years which expires on November 21, 2006. The MURR is a multi-disciplinary research and education facility that provides a wide range of analytical, radiographic, and irradiation services to the research community and the commercial sector. The licensing requirements are established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 10 CFR § 51.45 Environmental Reports - General Requirements. As part of the license renewal process the environmental report which was created on 2001 needed to be updated and revised to assure of the quality of the information. To study the hypothetical dose received by the public from the radioactive emissions that are released by the MURR during normal operations, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) COMPLY program was utilized. This program is intended for use by NRC licensees and non-DOE federal facilities to determine if they meet the radiation dose standards imposed by EPA under the Clean Air Act. COMPLY was utilized using an average of the last 10 years of the stack effluent which was measured in Curies per year. The results obtained from the program indicated that the MURR is in compliance for the emission released to the atmosphere.NSF-REU/NIH Program in Radiochemistr

Optimal strategies to improve uptake of and adherence to HIV prevention among young people at risk for HIV acquisition in the USA (ATN 149): a randomised, controlled, factorial trial

BackgroundPre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), condom use, post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), and sexual partner reduction help to prevent HIV acquisition but have low uptake among young people. We aimed to assess the efficacy of automated text messaging and monitoring, online peer support, and strengths-based telehealth coaching to improve uptake of and adherence to PrEP, condom use, and PEP among adolescents aged 12-24 years at risk of HIV acquisition in Los Angeles, CA, USA, and New Orleans, LA, USA.MethodsWe conducted a four-arm randomised controlled factorial trial, assessing interventions designed to support uptake and adherence of HIV prevention options (ie, PrEP, PEP, condom use, and sexual partner reduction). We recruited young people aged 12-24 years who were at risk of HIV acquisition from 13 community-based organisations, adolescent medicine clinics, and organisations serving people who are unstably housed, people who were previously incarcerated, and other vulnerable young people, and through dating apps, peer referrals, and social venues and events in Los Angeles, CA, USA, and New Orleans, LA, USA. Young people who tested seronegative and reported being gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men, transgender men or women, or gender diverse (eg. non-binary or genderqueer) were eligible for inclusion. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups in a factorial design: automated text messaging and monitoring (AMMI) only, AMMI plus peer support via private social media, AMMI plus strengths-based telehealth coaching by near-peer paraprofessionals, or AMMI plus peer support and coaching. Assignment was further stratified by race or ethnicity and sexual orientation within each interviewer's group of participants. Participants were masked to intervention assignment until after baseline interviews when offered their randomly assigned intervention, and interviewers were masked throughout the study. Interventions were available throughout the 24-month follow-up period, and participants completed baseline and follow-up assessments, including rapid diagnostic tests for sexually transmitted infections, HIV, and substance use, at 4-month intervals over 24 months. The primary outcomes were uptake and adherence to HIV prevention options over 24 months, measured by self-reported PrEP use and adherence, consistent condom use with all partners, PEP prescription and adherence, and number of sexual partners in participants with at least one follow-up. We used Bayesian generalised linear modelling to assess changes in outcomes over time comparing the four study groups. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03134833) and is completed.FindingsWe screened 2314 adolescents beginning May 1, 2017, to enrol 1037 participants (45%) aged 16-24 years between May 6, 2017, and Aug 30, 2019, of whom 895 (86%) had follow-up assessments and were included in the analytical sample (313 assigned to AMMI only, 205 assigned to AMMI plus peer support, 196 assigned to AMMI plus coaching, and 181 assigned to AMMI plus peer support and coaching). Follow-up was completed on Nov 8, 2021. Participants were diverse in race and ethnicity (362 [40%] Black or African American, 257 [29%] Latinx or Hispanic, 184 [21%] White, and 53 [6%] Asian or Pacific Islander) and other sociodemographic factors. At baseline, 591 (66%) participants reported anal sex without a condom in the past 12 months. PrEP use matched that in young people nationally, with 101 (11%) participants reporting current PrEP use at baseline, increasing at 4 months to 132 (15%) and continuing to increase in the AMMI plus peer support and coaching group (odds ratio 2·31, 95% CI 1·28-4·14 vs AMMI control). There was no evidence for intervention effect on condom use, PEP use (ie, prescription or adherence), PrEP adherence, or sexual partner numbers. No unanticipated or study-related adverse events occurred.InterpretationResults are consistent with hypothesised synergistic intervention effects of evidence-based functions of informational, motivational, and reminder messaging; peer support for HIV prevention; and strengths-based, goal-focused, and problem-solving telehealth coaching delivered by near-peer paraprofessionals. These core functions could be flexibly scaled via combinations of technology platforms and front-line or telehealth HIV prevention workers.FundingAdolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions, US National Institutes of Health