2,276 research outputs found
Lens or prism? How organisations sustain multiple and competing reputations
Purpose: This paper challenges singular definitions, measurements and applications of corporate reputation which tend to be reductionist. We rebuff such narrow representations of reputation by showing the multiplicity of reputation in the case of a global management consulting firm and demonstrate how it has sustained such reputations.
Design/methodology/approach: Using a large cross-country qualitative case study based on interviews, focus groups, non-participant observations, workshops and a fieldwork diary, dimensions of reputation are highlighted by drawing on perceptions from multiple stakeholder groups in different geographies.
Findings: We find significant differences in perceptions of reputation between and within stakeholder groups, with perceptions changing across dimensions and geographies.
Originality/value: The theoretical implications of the research indicate a plurality of extant reputations, suggesting that a prism is more suited to representing corporate reputation than a singular lens-like focus which is too narrow to constitute reputation.
This paper offers theoretical and practical suggestions for how global firms can build and sustain multiple and competing corporate reputations
Foothill: A Quasiconvex Regularization for Edge Computing of Deep Neural Networks
Deep neural networks (DNNs) have demonstrated success for many supervised
learning tasks, ranging from voice recognition, object detection, to image
classification. However, their increasing complexity might yield poor
generalization error that make them hard to be deployed on edge devices.
Quantization is an effective approach to compress DNNs in order to meet these
constraints. Using a quasiconvex base function in order to construct a binary
quantizer helps training binary neural networks (BNNs) and adding noise to the
input data or using a concrete regularization function helps to improve
generalization error. Here we introduce foothill function, an infinitely
differentiable quasiconvex function. This regularizer is flexible enough to
deform towards and penalties. Foothill can be used as a binary
quantizer, as a regularizer, or as a loss. In particular, we show this
regularizer reduces the accuracy gap between BNNs and their full-precision
counterpart for image classification on ImageNet.Comment: Accepted in 16th International Conference of Image Analysis and
Recognition (ICIAR 2019
Myosin tails and single Ī±-helical domains
The human genome contains 39 myosin genes, divided up into 12 different classes. The structure, cellular function and biochemical properties of many of these isoforms remain poorly characterized and there is still some controversy as to whether some myosin isoforms are monomers or dimers. Myosin isoforms 6 and 10 contain a stable single Ī±-helical (SAH) domain, situated just after the canonical lever. The SAH domain is stiff enough to be able to lengthen the lever allowing the myosin to take a larger step. In addition, atomic force microscopy and atomistic simulations show that SAH domains unfold at relatively low forces and have a high propensity to refold. These properties are likely to be important for protein function, enabling motors to carry cargo in dense actin networks, and other proteins to remain attached to binding partners in the crowded cell
Application of flood risk modelling in a web-based geospatial decision support tool for coastal adaptation to climate change
This is the discussion paper that was under review for the for the journal Natural Hazards and Earth
System Sciences (NHESS).The final paper is available from the publisher via DOI: 10.5194/nhess-15-1457-2015A pressing problem facing coastal decision makers
is the conversion of āhigh-levelā but plausible climate
change assessments into an effective basis for climate change
adaptation at the local scale. Here, we describe a web-based,
geospatial decision support tool (DST) that provides an assessment
of the potential flood risk for populated coastal
lowlands arising from future sea-level rise, coastal storms,
and high river flows. This DST has been developed to support
operational and strategic decision making by enabling
the user to explore the flood hazard from extreme events,
changes in the extent of the flood-prone areas with sea-level
rise, and thresholds of sea-level rise where current policy and
resource options are no longer viable. The DST is built in an
open-source GIS that uses freely available geospatial data.
Flood risk assessments from a combination of LISFLOODFP
and SWAB (Shallow Water And Boussinesq) models are
embedded within the tool; the user interface enables interrogation
of different combinations of coastal and river events
under rising-sea-level scenarios. Users can readily vary the
input parameters (sea level, storms, wave height and river
flow) relative to the present-day topography and infrastructure
to identify combinations where significant regime shifts
or ātipping pointsā occur. Two case studies demonstrate the
attributes of the DST with respect to the wider coastal community
and the UK energy sector. Examples report on the assets
at risk and illustrate the extent of flooding in relation to
infrastructure access. This informs an economic assessment
of potential losses due to climate change and thus provides
local authorities and energy operators with essential information
on the feasibility of investment for building resilience
into vulnerable components of their area of responsibilit
The snail Biomphalaria glabrata as a model to interrogate the molecular basis of complex human diseases
The causal effect of testosterone on menās competitive behavior is moderated by basal cortisol and cues to an opponentās status: Evidence for a context-dependent dual hormone hypothesis
Testosterone has been theorized to direct status-seeking behaviors, including competitive behavior. However, most human studies to date have adopted correlational designs, and findings across studies are inconsistent. This experiment (n = 115) pharmacologically manipulated menās testosterone levels prior to a mixed-gender math competition and examined basal cortisol (a hormone implicated in stress and social avoidance) and context cues related to an opponentās perceived status (an opponentās gender or a win/loss in a prior competition) as factors that may moderate testosteroneās impact on competitive behavior. We test and find support for the hypothesis that testosterone given to low-cortisol men evokes status-seeking behavior, whereas testosterone given to high-cortisol men evokes status-loss avoidance. In the initial rounds of competition, testosteroneās influence on competitive decisions depended on basal cortisol and opponent gender. After providing opponent-specific win-lose feedback, testosteroneās influence on decisions to re-enter competitions depended on basal cortisol and this objective cue to status, not gender. Compared to placebo, men given exogenous testosterone who were low in basal cortisol showed an increased tendency to compete against male and high-status opponents relative to female and low-status opponents (status-seeking). Men given exogenous testosterone who were high in basal cortisol showed the opposite pattern - an increased tendency to compete against female and low-status opponents relative to male and high-status opponents (status-loss avoidance). These results provide support for a context-dependent dual hormone hypothesis: Testosterone flexibly directs menās competitive behavior contingent on basal cortisol levels and cues that signal an opponentās status
Tight junctions in inflammatory bowel diseases and inflammatory bowel disease associated colorectal cancer
Impact of Electronic Versus Paper Vital Sign Observations on Length of Stay in Trauma Patients: Stepped-Wedge, Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Background: Electronic recording of vital sign observations (e-Obs) has become increasingly prevalent in hospital care. The evidence of clinical impact for these systems is mixed.
Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the effect of e-Obs versus paper documentation (paper) on length of stay (time between trauma unit admission and āfit to dischargeā) for trauma patients.
Methods: A single-center, randomized stepped-wedge study of e-Obs against paper was conducted in two 26-bed trauma wards at a medium-sized UK teaching hospital. Randomization of the phased intervention order to 12 study areas was computer generated. The primary outcome was length of stay.
Results: A total of 1232 patient episodes were randomized (paper: 628, e-Obs: 604). There were 37 deaths in hospital: 21 in the paper arm and 16 in the e-Obs arm. For discharged patients, the median length of stay was 5.4 (range: 0.2-79.0) days on the paper arm and 5.6 (range: 0.1-236.7) days on the e-Obs arm. Competing risks regression analysis for time to discharge showed no difference between the treatment arms (subhazard ratio: 1.05; 95% CI 0.82-1.35; P=.68). A greater proportion of patient episodes contained an Early Warning Score (EWS) ā„3 using the e-Obs system than using paper (subhazard ratio: 1.63; 95% CI 1.28-2.09; P<.001). However, there was no difference in the time to the subsequent observation, āescalation timeā (hazard ratio 1.05; 95% CI 0.80-1.38; P=.70).
Conclusions: The phased introduction of an e-Obs documentation system was not associated with a change in length of stay. A greater proportion of patient episodes contained an EWSā„3 using the e-Obs system, but this was not associated with a change in āescalation time.ā
Trial Registration: ISRCTN Registry ISRCTN91040762; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN91040762 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/72prakGTU
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