559 research outputs found
A Framework for analysing worker participation in management
The levels of managerial decision-making at which worker participation occurs, the range of subject-matter covered, the degree of power-sharing, and the means by which worker participation is implemented, are influenced by the wider social, economic and political environment
Economic Instruments and the Greenhouse Effect
The recent build-up of "greenhouse gases" in the atmosphere means that there is a significant probability of global warming over the coming half-century. This prediction is subject to very great uncertainties concerning both the actual likelihood of warming, its possible magnitude, and the probable effects on the world economy. Faced with these uncertainties, the nations of the world can be expected to adopt some form of minimum-regret response. At this stage, such a response is likely to consist of two elements: an accelerated programme of scientific research, and further steps towards the negotiation of international agreements to deal with the identified problems.
The 1987 Montreal Protocol on CFCs and halons has demonstrated the speed with which such agreements can be reached, and the possibility of their effective implementation, once political will is established. The 1988 Toronto conference resolution on first steps towards reducing CO2 emissions over the long run opens the way to debate and negotiation over an international policy regime to tackle Co2, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions.
This paper considers four policy options which show promise in the search for a long-run solution to a perceived greenhouse threat. These should be regarded as potentially-complementary, not mutually-exclusive, elements in a total policy package. The options are: (a) a system of tradeable emission permits or entitlements, issued by an international agency and exchanged through an open international marketplace; (b) a system of detailed quantitative e mission permits enforceable in international law; (c) a system of taxes or levies targeted at emissions or at consumption of specified fuels; (d) a convention setting ambient standards to be met on a country-by-country basis, and legitimating international sanctions against offending countries
A Framework for analysing worker participation in management
The levels of managerial decision-making at which worker participation occurs, the range of subject-matter covered, the degree of power-sharing, and the means by which worker participation is implemented, are influenced by the wider social, economic and political environment
Igneous sills record far-field and near-field stress interactions during volcano construction: Isle of Mull, Scotland
Sill emplacement is typically associated with horizontally mechanically layered host rocks in a near-hydrostatic far-field stress state, where contrasting mechanical properties across the layers promote transitions from dykes, or inclined sheets, to sills. We used detailed field observations from the Loch Scridain Sill Complex (Isle of Mull, UK), and mechanical models to show that layering is not always the dominant control on sill emplacement. The studied sills have consistently shallow dips (1°–25°) and cut vertically bedded and foliated metamorphic basement rocks, and horizontally bedded cover sedimentary rocks and lavas. Horizontal and shallowly-dipping fractures in the host rock were intruded with vertical opening in all cases, whilst steeply-dipping discontinuities within the sequence (i.e. vertical fractures and foliation in the basement, and vertical polygonal joints in the lavas) were not intruded during sill emplacement. Mechanical models of slip tendency, dilation tendency, and fracture susceptibility for local and overall sill geometry data, support a radial horizontal compression during sill emplacement. Our models show that dykes and sills across Mull were emplaced during NW–SE horizontal shortening, related to a far-field tectonic stress state. The dykes generally accommodated phases of NE–SW horizontal tectonic extension, whereas the sills record the superposition of the far-field stress with a near-field stress state, imposed by emplacement of the Mull Central Volcano. We show that through detailed geometric characterisation coupled with mechanical modelling, sills may be used as an indication of fluctuations in the paleostress state
Individual differences in neonatal white matter are associated with executive function at 3 years of age
The development of executive function (EF) in early childhood contributes to social and academic aspects of school readiness and facilitates emerging self-regulatory competence. Numerous efforts are underway to identify aspects of early brain development that contribute to emerging EF. Existing research supports the importance of multiple white matter tracts for EF in older children and adults. However, this research has not been extended to young children. In this study, we consider neonatal white matter microstructure in relation to children’s performance on a battery of EF tasks three years later. We obtained diffusion tensor imaging data from a sample of neonates (N = 27) shortly after birth. At 3 years of age, children completed a computerized battery of EF tasks. The primary data analyses involved regression models estimated for each white matter tract. Multiple demographic and measure-related covariates were included in each model. A follow-up analysis of tracts determined to be associated with EF examined individual data points along those fibers. Among the white matter tracts analyzed, the cingulum was significantly associated with EF at 3 years of age. Specifically, lower axial diffusivity values along the cingulum were associated with increased performance on the EF battery. Results are discussed as providing initial evidence that individual differences in neonatal brain structure may facilitate the acquisition of EF abilities in early childhood. These findings are consistent with previous research that supports the value of the cingulum for higher-order cognitive abilities. Cautions and implications of these results are considered
Chemotherapy versus supportive care in advanced non-small cell lung cancer: improved survival without detriment to quality of life
BACKGROUND: In 1995 a meta-analysis of randomised trials investigating the value of adding chemotherapy to primary treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) suggested a small survival benefit for cisplatin-based chemotherapy in each of the primary treatment settings. However, the metaanalysis included many small trials and trials with differing eligibility criteria and chemotherapy regimens. METHODS: The aim of the Big Lung Trial was to confirm the survival benefits seen in the meta-analysis and to assess quality of life and cost in the supportive care setting. A total of 725 patients were randomised to receive supportive care alone (n = 361) or supportive care plus cisplatin-based chemotherapy (n = 364). RESULTS: 65% of patients allocated chemotherapy (C) received all three cycles of treatment and a further 27% received one or two cycles. 74% of patients allocated no chemotherapy (NoC) received thoracic radiotherapy compared with 47% of the C group. Patients allocated C had a significantly better survival than those allocated NoC: HR 0.77 (95% CI 0.66 to 0.89, p = 0.0006), median survival 8.0 months for the C group v 5.7 months for the NoC group, a difference of 9 weeks. There were 19 (5%) treatment related deaths in the C group. There was no evidence that any subgroup benefited more or less fromchemotherapy. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of the pre-defined primary and secondary quality of life end points, although large negative effects of chemotherapy were ruled out. The regimens used proved to be cost effective, the extra cost of chemotherapy being offset by longer survival. CONCLUSIONS: The survival benefit seen in this trial was entirely consistent with the NSCLC meta-analysis and subsequent similarly designed large trials. The information on quality of life and cost should enablepatients and their clinicians to make more informed treatment choices
NaIrO3 - A pentavalent post-perovskite
Sodium iridium(V) oxide, NaIrO3, was synthesized by a high pressure solid
state method and recovered to ambient conditions. It is found to be
isostructural with CaIrO3, the much-studied structural analogue of the
high-pressure post-perovskite phase of MgSiO3. Among the oxide
post-perovskites, NaIrO3 is the first example with a pentavalent cation. The
structure consists of layers of corner- and edge-sharing IrO6 octahedra
separated by layers of NaO8 bicapped trigonal prisms. NaIrO3 shows no magnetic
ordering and resistivity measurements show non-metallic behavior. The crystal
structure, electrical and magnetic properties are discussed and compared to
known post-perovskites and pentavalent perovskite metal oxides.Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures. Submitted to Journal of Solid State Chemistr
Estimation of vortex density after superconducting film quench
This paper addresses the problem of vortex formation during a rapid quench in
a superconducting film. It builds on previous work showing that in a local
gauge theory there are two distinct mechanisms of defect formation, based on
fluctuations of the scalar and gauge fields, respectively. We show how vortex
formation in a thin film differs from the fully two-dimensional case, on which
most theoretical studies have focused. We discuss ways of testing theoretical
predictions in superconductor experiments and analyse the results of recent
experiments in this light.Comment: 7 pages, no figure
A Grand Canonical Ensemble Approach to the Thermodynamic Properties of the Nucleon in the Quark-Gluon Coupling Model
In this paper, we put forward a way to study the nucleon's thermodynamic
properties such as its temperature, entropy and so on, without inputting any
free parameters by human hand, even the nucleon's mass and radius. First we use
the Lagrangian density of the quark gluon coupling fields to deduce the Dirac
Equation of the quarks confined in the gluon fields. By boundary conditions we
solve the wave functions and energy eigenvalues of the quarks, and thus get
energy-momentum tensor, nucleon mass, and density of states. Then we utilize a
hybrid grand canonical ensemble, to generate the temperature and chemical
potentials of quarks, antiquarks of three flovars by the four conservation laws
of the energy and the valence quark numbers, after which, all other
thermodynamic properties are known. The only seemed free paremeter, the nucleon
radius is finally determined by the grand potential minimal principle.Comment: 5 pages, LaTe
Interaction of quasilocal harmonic modes and boson peak in glasses
The direct proportionality relation between the boson peak maximum in
glasses, , and the Ioffe-Regel crossover frequency for phonons,
, is established. For several investigated materials . At the frequency the mean free path of the
phonons becomes equal to their wavelength because of strong resonant
scattering on quasilocal harmonic oscillators. Above this frequency phonons
cease to exist. We prove that the established correlation between
and holds in the general case and is a direct consequence of
bilinear coupling of quasilocal oscillators with the strain field.Comment: RevTex, 4 pages, 1 figur
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