13,420 research outputs found
The Culture of Construction Organisations: the Epitome of Institutionalised Corruption
The culture of an organisation is a vital element of business competency that must align with its strategic goals, and enhance peoples’ perceptions, feelings and behaviour in adapting to the world around them. Organisational culture may also bring about negative practices such as dishonesty and unethical behaviours. Recently the culture of some construction organisations has been called into question. For example, major construction projects around the globe have become involved in allegations of fraud and corruption. The cost is currently estimated at US1.5 trillion by 2025. Hitherto the role of the culture of construction organisations in fraud and corruption activities has been largely hidden. The study aim is to establish whether the culture of construction organisations promotes corrupt practices in the UK construction and infrastructure sector. The study employed mixed research methods with interviews supported by a questionnaire and an examination of five case studies in different countries. Findings show that the culture of construction organisations together with the nature of the industry promotes fraud and corruption. The study subsequently highlights key cultural factors that support fraud and corruption in a way that is almost institutionalised
Superorbital Period in the High Mass X-ray Binary 2S 0114+650
We report the detection of a superorbital period in the high-mass X-ray
binary 2S 0114+650. Analyses of data from the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
(RXTE) All-Sky Monitor (ASM) from 1996 January 5 to 2004 August 25 reveal a
superorbital period of 30.7 +/- 0.1 d, in addition to confirming the previously
reported neutron star spin period of 2.7 h and the binary orbital period of
11.6 d. It is unclear if the superorbital period can be ascribed to the
precession of a warped accretion disc in the system.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, submitted to MNRAS 27th January 2005. Manuscript
expanded to include discussion of evolution of periods, and hardness ratio
variability. Number of figures increased from 5 to 9. Accepted for
publication 19th December 200
Evaluation of two observational methods to assess the numbers of nesting puffins (Fratercula arctica)
Accurate monitoring of population numbers is essential for conservation. Large numbers, dense flora, camouflage or inaccessible landscapes make counting individuals difficult or near impossible. This study compared two population count methods for puffins nesting in on steep cliffs. To estimate numbers in a colony, Apparently Occupied Burrows (AOB) are counted by the observation of adult birds returning with fish in their beaks and disappearing into the burrows (Joint Nature Conservation Committee, 2015). This study compared continuous counts via binoculars with the count obtained via a time-laps camera (one photo every 10 seconds) to help future estimates to be more accurate and provide a scientific method for the national census. The study was carried out on Lundy Island (51N, 04W) in the Bristol Channel, UK. Total counts of puffins present in the observation area were done at the beginning of each session, and then again every 30 minutes, both via binoculars and from still photos. The total camera bird count ranged from two to 39, for the live observation from zero to 45. The count of the AOBs via the photos ranged from five to 19, for the live count from one to 15. The camera count of the AOBs was always higher than the count via binoculars, by an average factor of 1.75. The difference between the two observers was smaller than the difference between the camera count and the observers. The differences in bird numbers between all three counts were significant. The observers’ bird counts did not show a trend to over- or underestimate total numbers. Both observational techniques were affected by weather conditions and visibility. Counting occupied nest sites by camera is more accurate than by live observation via binoculars. For overall numbers of birds the trend was inconclusive
A Multicoloured View of 2S 0114+650
We report the results of radio and X-ray observations of the high mass X-ray
binary 2S 0114+650, made with the Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope and the Rossi
X-ray Timing Explorer respectively. No emission was detected at radio
wavelengths. The neutral hydrogen column density was found to vary over the
orbital period, while no variability over the the super-orbital period was
observed. We discuss the causes of the observed relationships and the
implications for the underlying mechanisms.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; to appear in proceedings for "The multicoloured
landscape of compact objects and their explosive progenitors", Cefalu,
Sicily, 2006 June 11-24, AIP, submitte
Surgery groups of the fundamental groups of hyperplane arrangement complements
Using a recent result of Bartels and Lueck (arXiv:0901.0442) we deduce that
the Farrell-Jones Fibered Isomorphism conjecture in L-theory is true for any
group which contains a finite index strongly poly-free normal subgroup, in
particular, for the Artin full braid groups. As a consequence we explicitly
compute the surgery groups of the Artin pure braid groups. This is obtained as
a corollary to a computation of the surgery groups of a more general class of
groups, namely for the fundamental group of the complement of any fiber-type
hyperplane arrangement in the complex n-space.Comment: 11 pages, AMSLATEX file, revised following referee's comments and
suggestions, to appear in Archiv der Mathemati
Optical variability of the accretion disk around the intermediate mass black hole ESO 243-49 HLX-1 during the 2012 outburst
We present dedicated quasi-simultaneous X-ray (Swift) and optical (Very Large
Telescope (VLT), V- and R-band) observations of the intermediate mass black
hole candidate ESO 243-49 HLX-1 before and during the 2012 outburst. We show
that the V-band magnitudes vary with time, thus proving that a portion of the
observed emission originates in the accretion disk. Using the first quiescent
optical observations of HLX-1, we show that the stellar population surrounding
HLX-1 is fainter than V~25.1 and R~24.2. We show that the optical emission may
increase before the X-ray emission consistent with the scenario proposed by
Lasota et al. (2011) in which the regular outbursts could be related to the
passage at periastron of a star circling the intermediate mass black hole in an
eccentric orbit, which triggers mass transfer into a quasi-permanent accretion
disk around the black hole. Further, if there is indeed a delay in the X-ray
emission we estimate the mass-transfer delivery radius to be ~1e11 cm.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
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