73 research outputs found
Spinning Gold: The Financial Returns to Stakeholder Engagement
We provide direct empirical evidence in support of instrumental stakeholder theory\u27s argument that increasing stakeholder support enhances the financial valuation of a firm, holding constant the objective valuation of the physical assets under its control. We undertake this analysis using panel data on 26 gold mines owned by 19 publicly traded firms over the period 1993â2008. We code over 50,000 stakeholder events from media reports to develop an index of the degree of stakeholder conflict/cooperation for these mines. By incorporating this index in a market capitalization analysis, we reduce the discount placed by financial markets on the net present value of the physical assets controlled by these firms from 72 percent to between 37 and 13 percent
Bedside theatre performance and its effects on hospitalised children's well-being
This article reports on practice-based pilot research being undertaken at Birmingham Children's Hospital in England on the impact of bedside theatre performance on hospitalised children's well-being. It discusses the process of creating theatre for sick children, connecting with the hospital and working within the hospital tight routines, dealing with ethics, working with theatre artists and performing to children bedside. It also reports on evidence collected by questionnaire and interviews about the perceived benefits of bedside theatre by children and their parent/carers. This emphasis on the process is appropriate for theatre practitioners, arts therapists and clinical staff who work with hospitalised children
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Vacuum ultraviolet reflectivity measurements of thin-film electroluminescent phosphors
Vacuum ultraviolet reflectivity measurements of three thin-film electroluminescent phosphors, zinc sulfide (ZnS), strontium sulfide (SrS), and strontium-calcium thiogallate (Srâ.ââ
Caâ.â
â
GaâSâ), are reported using thin-film samples. Measured ZnS reflectivity peak positions are in agreement with values previously reported in the literature. SrS room temperature reflectivity measurements are found to be consistent with previously reported low temperature measurements. Reflectivity measurements of Srâ.ââ
Caâ.â
â
GaâSâ are reported for the first time; the reflectivity spectrum is found to rise monotonically above the band gap and to exhibit almost no structure, except for a small shoulder at ~6.8 eV and a single, broad peak at ~8.5 eV. The unusual nature of the Srâ.ââ
Caâ.â
â
GaâSâ reflectivity spectrum is attributed to positional disorder in the stoichiometric thiogallate film
Disagreements with implications: diverging discourses on the ethics of non-medical use of methylphenidate for performance enhancement
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is substantial evidence that methylphenidate (MPH; Ritalin), is being used by healthy university students for non-medical motives such as the improvement of concentration, alertness, and academic performance. The scope and potential consequences of the non-medical use of MPH upon healthcare and society bring about many points of view.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>To gain insight into key ethical and social issues on the non-medical use of MPH, we examined discourses in the print media, bioethics literature, and public health literature.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our study identified three diverging paradigms with varying perspectives on the nature of performance enhancement. The beneficial effects of MPH on normal cognition were generally portrayed enthusiastically in the print media and bioethics discourses but supported by scant information on associated risks. Overall, we found a variety of perspectives regarding ethical, legal and social issues related to the non-medical use of MPH for performance enhancement and its impact upon social practices and institutions. The exception to this was public health discourse which took a strong stance against the non-medical use of MPH typically viewed as a form of prescription abuse or misuse. Wide-ranging recommendations for prevention of further non-medical use of MPH included legislation and increased public education.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Some positive portrayals of the non-medical use of MPH for performance enhancement in the print media and bioethics discourses could entice further uses. Medicine and society need to prepare for more prevalent non-medical uses of neuropharmaceuticals by fostering better informed public debates.</p
Finding the sources of missing heritability in a yeast cross
For many traits, including susceptibility to common diseases in humans,
causal loci uncovered by genetic mapping studies explain only a minority of the
heritable contribution to trait variation. Multiple explanations for this
"missing heritability" have been proposed. Here we use a large cross between
two yeast strains to accurately estimate different sources of heritable
variation for 46 quantitative traits and to detect underlying loci with high
statistical power. We find that the detected loci explain nearly the entire
additive contribution to heritable variation for the traits studied. We also
show that the contribution to heritability of gene-gene interactions varies
among traits, from near zero to 50%. Detected two-locus interactions explain
only a minority of this contribution. These results substantially advance our
understanding of the missing heritability problem and have important
implications for future studies of complex and quantitative traits
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