Inside the black box: compensation structures of efficient Yugoslavian firms

The main purpose of the research discussed in this paper has been to try to understand the main determinants of labor productivity within a firm from the perspective of the worker through a model and econometric application. Understanding why workers do the best they can or "just make time" is at the heart of the issue. The results indicate that on the basis of these data there is support for the hypothesis that an hierarchical effort function of the workers may indeed help explain variations in firm productivity.productivity, cooperatives, worker self-management, Yugoslavia

Are CEO's paid their marginal product? An empirical analysis of executive compensation and corporate performance.

The theory and reality of chief executive compensation is explored in this paper. The study here uses a panel of data on 143 executives from America’s largest corporations. The results suggest that earlier theoretical expectations and empirical findings of compressed wage scales may not hold when top-level managers are included.compensation, executive, marginal products

Bad loans in the meltdown: micro analysis of credit union performance versus banks, an initial investigation

The current economic crisis has had a devastating impact in the credit markets as evidenced by bank failures, large bailouts and foreclosures. Trillions of dollars have been spent to prop up the financial sector in the U.S. alone. Credit unions, commercial banks and thrifts are where Americans go for home loans, but credit unions have a very different track record when it has come to bailouts from the government. Credit unions instead of taking trillions may ultimately not take a dime from the taxpayer. This paper will try to discern this advantage that credit unions have by focusing on the direct impact felt by financial institutions in the United States through net charge-offs from 1994 through 2009 using an exceptional data set that combines information on credit unions and banks in the U.S. from 1994 through 2009.credit unions; banks; cooperative; defaults; net charge-offs

Lithium thionyl chloride high rate discharge

Improvements in high rate lithium thionyl chloride power technology achieved by varying the electrolyte composition, operating temperature, cathode design, and cathode composition are discussed. Discharge capacities are plotted as a function of current density, cell voltage, and temperature

Two Types of Semantic Presuppositions

Expressions that normally carry presuppositions differ with respect to whether their presuppositions can be suspended, or behave as if they were mere entailments, in exceptional circumstances. In recent terminology there are said to be ‘soft triggers’, which allow for suspension, and ‘hard triggers’, which do not (Chierchia and McConnell-Ginet, Meaning and grammar, 2nd edn. MIT Press, Cambridge, 2000; Simons, On the conversational basis of some presuppositions. In: Proceedings of semantics and linguistics theory 11, 2001; Abusch, Lexical alternatives as a source of pragmatic presuppositions. In: Jackson B (ed) Proceedings of SALT XII. CLC Publications, Ithaca, NY, 2002, following Karttunen, Some observations on factivity. Pap Linguist 5:55–69, 1971; Stalnaker, Pragmatic presuppositions. In: Munitz MK, Unger PK (eds) Semantics and philosophy: essays. New York University Press, New York, 1974; Wilson, Presuppositions and non-truth-conditional semantics. Academic, New York, 1975). Most of these authors have assumed that the possibility of suspending a presupposition argues against its being a semantic presupposition of the relevant expression, and in favor of treating it as a pragmatic inference. If this is correct, the explanatory burden for the theory of semantic presuppositions would seem to be reduced. On the other hand, if both soft and hard triggers are to be treated uniformly as carrying semantic presuppositions, two logically distinct problems arise. The first is to give an account of why suspension is possible in the first place. The second is to explain, given that account, why suspension is impossible or extremely difficult for hard triggers. This paper suggests that there is a simple answer to the second problem: soft triggers necessarily entail their semantic presuppositions, hard triggers do not, and speakers do not invoke semantic presuppositions idly. In addition, formulating this answer makes transparent the nature of the first problem

Use of motion-tracking games for rehabilitation of the paretic upper extremity in individuals with stroke, The

Includes bibliographical references.2015 Fall.BACKGROUND: Every 45 seconds in the United States, someone experiences a stroke. Stroke is the leading cause of disability in the United States, which underscores the importance of access to efficacious and feasible rehabilitation treatment. Researchers have estimated that 77% of survivors experience upper extremity weakness, or paresis after stroke. When this weakness affects one side of the body, it is known as hemiparesis. Overall, a large volume of therapy is required to produce the neuroplastic changes that lead to meaningful recovery post-stroke, but with the constraints of conventional, "hands-on" approaches, a system is needed that allows for convenient, at-home practice with remote supervision and feedback of a therapist. Over the last 30 years, treatments have emerged through scientific advances, which integrate the principles provided by conventional therapy treatment using computer technology. These treatments allow for repetitive action-based, at-home practice. METHOD: Four participants who have experienced stroke were recruited from the northern Colorado community. The materials used for the study include the suite of web-based games, a commercially available Leap Motion sensor, a custom stand designed to hold the sensor, and a laptop computer. To use the game, participants moved their hand underneath the motion sensor which interacts with the games on the computer screen. The researchers adjusted the difficulty, time, and sensitivity of the games depending on the movement capacity of the participant. The intervention sessions took place over five consecutive days, except for one participant who used the system in his home over 10 consecutive weekdays. The participants were assessed using the Wolf Motor Function Test (WMFT), the Fugl-Meyer Assessment-Upper Extremity Test (FMA-UE), and the "Quality of Movement" scale of the Motor Activity Log (MAL-QOM). The baseline and post-intervention scores on the WFMT-Timed, the WMFT-FA, the MAL-QOM and the FMA were analyzed using Wilcoxon's Signed-Rank Test. RESULTS: The mean scores in all measures of motor performance moved in the direction of improvement, though none were shown to be statistically significant. The intervention was overall well-tolerated by the participants, with no adverse effects reported. DISCUSSION: The primary aims of the study were to investigate the efficacy and feasibility of an at-home, motion-tracking rehabilitation gaming system (GATOR) for increasing users' real-world use of their paretic upper extremity. Future research on this system with increased length of treatment in the home of the participant is needed to further evaluate the use of this system as a rehabilitation technology for the increased use of the stroke-affected arm

Understanding the experience of type 2 diabetes using multiple methods and perspectives

2019 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.To view the abstract, please see the full text of the document

Cooperative comebacks: resilience in the face of the Hurricane Katrina Catastrophe (New Orleans and Southern Mississippi, May 2005–May 2006)

Millions of lives were dramatically changed by Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. Numerous businesses were wiped out. People lost their homes, their livelihoods, their lives. Nearly two years after Katrina, some sectors of the aff ected region have proved to be more resilient than others. Th rough the able data collection and analysis of Mark Klinedinst, an economics professor at the University of Southern Mississippi, this report examines the plight of credit unions in the face of this disaster. Klinedinst compares credit unions with banks in southern Mississippi and in New Orleans at both the aggregate and case study levels. Klinedinst argues that analyzing credit unions under this kind of duress may be useful in identifying cooperative strengths and weaknesses that are not apparent under normal circumstances. These findings may assist credit unions with larger contingency planning as it relates to disaster preparedness.credit unions; banks; hurricane; Katrina; cooperatives; finance