2,019 research outputs found
Shareholder Voting and Directorsâ Remuneration Report Legislation: Say on Pay in the U.K. (CRI 2009-004)
This paper investigates shareholder voting in the UK. The Directorsâ Remuneration Report (DRR) Regulations of 2002 gave shareholders a mandatory non-binding vote on boardroom pay. First, using data on about 50,000 resolutions over the period 2002 to 2007 we find that less than 10% of shareholders abstain or vote against the mandated Directorsâ Remuneration Report (DRR) resolution. Second, investors are more likely to vote against DRR resolutions compared to non-pay resolutions. Third, shareholders are more likely to vote against general executive pay resolutions, such as stock options, long term incentive plans and bonus resolutions compared to non-pay resolutions. Forth, firms with higher CEO pay attract greater voting dissent. Fifth, there is little evidence that CEO pay is lower in firms that previously experienced high levels of shareholder dissent. In addition, there is little evidence that the equity pay-mix, representing better owner-manager alignment, is greater in such firms. Currently, we find limited evidence that, on average, âsay on payâ materially alters the subsequent level and design of CEO compensation
Tensile properties of textile composites
The importance of textile composite materials in aerospace structural applications has been gaining momentum in recent years. With a view to better understand the suitability of these materials in aerospace applications, an experimental program was undertaken to assess the mechanical properties of these materials. Specifically, the braided textile preforms were infiltrated with suitable polymeric matrices leading to the fabrication of composite test coupons. Evaluation of the tensile properties and the analyses of the results in the form of strength moduli, Poisson's ratio, etc., for the braided composites are presented. Based on our past experience with the textile coupons, the fabrication techniques have been modified (by incorporating glass microballoons in the matrix and/or by stabilizing the braid angle along the length of the specimen with axial fibers) to achieve enhanced mechanical properties of the textile composites. This paper outlines the preliminary experimental results obtained from testing these composites
Investigation in optimisation of accuracy with non-contact systems by influencing variable processes
The use of 3D scanning systems is becoming increasingly popular and an essential tool for manufacturers for inspection and measurement. With such systems being utilised on the manufacturing shop floor due to their portability and ease of use, it is no doubt that such systems are designed to address a variety of users whom, with minimal training can operate the equipment. Due to continuing demands of high-quality products there is the need for manufacturers of 3D scanning systems to develop technologies that deliver fast and accurate information. However, one of the key challenges lies not in the training of people to use the equipment, but to develop engineers who can produce traceable, accurate and precise results with a declared statement of confidence quantifying the quality of the measurement. This statement of the quality of the output results relies on employing a set of workflow actions that involve planning, capture, processing and analysis, and finally output. This paper sets out to show how the results from a set of workflow actions from different categories of 3D scanning devices affects the quality of output
Training Peer Mentors in Reinforcement and Modeling with Prompting (RaMP): Using Mixed Reality Simulation to Encourage Social Reciprocity Skills in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can face many challenges, including limited ability in social reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests as a result of the disorder (APA, 2013). This hinders their ability to build and maintain friendships in the same manner as their typically developing peers and affects their interactions, speech and language abilities, and emotional regulation (Whitman & DeWitt, 2011). Peer Mentors (PMs) are trained to support the development of these skills as part of the Peer Mediated Instruction and Intervention (PMII) evidence-based practice (EBP). However, and explicit training program is not always evident nor is the opportunity for purposeful practice prior to working with the children with ASD. Further, a gap in literature exists regarding training adolescent PMs. The purpose of this study was to determine if when PMs receive explicit instruction in the reinforcement and modeling with prompting (RaMP) training program they become more adequately prepared to encourage social reciprocity skills from adolescents with ASD. The additional mixed reality simulation (MRS) platform provided the practice component. A multiple baseline single subject design was implemented to determine that the proposed RaMP training program was in fact effective across three PM participants. The study supports the need for an explicit training program for PMs. Each PM not only increased in their fidelity of the RaMP skills, but they also maintained and were able to generalize the skills taught even after the support was withdrawn
Differential temporal betaâdiversity patterns of native and nonânative arthropod species in a fragmented native forest landscape
An important factor that hinders the management of nonânative species is a general lack of information regarding the biogeography of nonânatives, and, in particular, their rates of turnover. Here, we address this research gap by analysing differences in temporal betaâdiversity (using both pairwise and multipleâtime dissimilarity metrics) between native and nonânative species, using a novel timeâseries dataset of arthropods sampled in native forest fragments in the Azores. We use a null model approach to determine whether temporal betaâdiversity was due to deterministic processes or stochastic colonisation and extinction events, and linear modelling selection to assess the factors driving variation in temporal betaâdiversity between plots. In accordance with our predictions, we found that the temporal betaâdiversity was much greater for nonânative species than for native species, and the null model analyses indicated that the turnover of nonânative species was due to stochastic events. No predictor variables were found to explain the turnover of native or nonânative species. We attribute the greater turnover of nonânative species to sourceâsink processes and the close proximity of anthropogenic habitats to the fragmented native forest plots sampled in our study. Thus, our findings point to ways in which the study of turnover can be adapted for future applications in habitat island systems. The implications of this for biodiversity conservation and management are significant. The high rate of stochastic turnover of nonânative species indicates that attempts to simply reduce the populations of nonânative species in situ within native habitats may not be successful. A more efficient management strategy would be to interrupt sourceâsink dynamics by improving the harsh boundaries between native and adjacent anthropogenic habitats.Portuguese FCTâNETBIOME â ISLANDBIODIV grant 0003/2011.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Fresh Water Anchor Ice Along an Arctic Beach
Anchor ice is broadly defined ... as "submerged ice attached or anchored to the bottom, irrespective of the nature of its formation". We discuss here a form of anchor ice of which we can find no previous description. During August 1978 and 1979 we observed a belt of fresh-water anchor ice along 30 km of beach between Sheringham Point and Prospect Hills in southwest Cornwallis Island, N.W.T. ..
Fresh Water Anchor Ice Along an Arctic Beach
Anchor ice is broadly defined ... as "submerged ice attached or anchored to the bottom, irrespective of the nature of its formation". We discuss here a form of anchor ice of which we can find no previous description. During August 1978 and 1979 we observed a belt of fresh-water anchor ice along 30 km of beach between Sheringham Point and Prospect Hills in southwest Cornwallis Island, N.W.T. ..
Radio Sources in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey. I. Radio Source Populations
We present the first results from a study of the radio continuum properties
of galaxies in the 2dF Galaxy Redshift Survey, based on thirty 2dF fields
covering a total area of about 100 square degrees. About 1.5% of galaxies with
b(J) < 19.4 mag are detected as radio continuum sources in the NRAO VLA Sky
Survey (NVSS). Of these, roughly 40% are star-forming galaxies and 60% are
active galaxies (mostly low-power radio galaxies and a few Seyferts). The
combination of 2dFGRS and NVSS will eventually yield a homogeneous set of
around 4000 radio-galaxy spectra, which will be a powerful tool for studying
the distriibution and evolution of both AGN and starburst galaxies out to
redshift z=0.3.Comment: 14 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in PAS
Photoactivatable organometallic pyridyl ruthenium(II) arene complexes
The synthesis and characterization of a family of piano-stool RuII arene complexes of the type [(Ρ6-arene)Ru(N,Nâ˛)(L)][PF6]2, where arene is p-cymene (p-cym), hexamethylbenzene (hmb), or indane (ind), N,NⲠis 2,2â˛-bipyrimidine (bpm), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-dione (phendio), or 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (bathophen), and L is pyridine (Py), 4-methylpyridine (4-MePy), 4-methoxypyridine (4-MeOPy), 4,4â˛-bipyridine (4,4â˛-bpy), 4-phenylpyridine (4-PhPy), 4-benzylpyridine (4-BzPy), 1,2,4-triazole (trz), 3-acetylpyridine (3-AcPy), nicotinamide (NA), or methyl nicotinate (MN), are reported, including the X-ray crystal structures of [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(4-MePy)]2+ (2), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(4-BzPy)]2+ (6), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(trz)]2+ (7), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(phen)(Py)]2+ (10), and [(Ρ6-ind)Ru(bpy)(Py)]2+ (13). These complexes can selectively photodissociate the monodentate ligand (L) when excited with UVA or white light, allowing strict control of the formation of the reactive aqua species [(Ρ6-arene)Ru(N,Nâ˛)(OH2)]2+ that otherwise would not form in the dark. The photoproducts were characterized by UVâvis absorption and 1H NMR spectroscopy. DFT and TD-DFT calculations were employed to characterize the excited states and to obtain information on the photochemistry of the complexes. All the RuII pyridine complexes follow a relatively similar photochemical L-ligand dissociation mechanism, likely to occur from a series of 3MC triplet states with dissociative character. The photochemical process proved to be much more efficient when UVA-range irradiation was used. More strikingly, light activation was used to phototrigger binding of these potential anticancer agents with discriminating preference toward 9-ethylguanine (9-EtG) over 9-ethyladenine (9-EtA). Calf thymus (CT)-DNA binding studies showed that the irradiated complexes bind to CT-DNA, whereas the nonirradiated forms bind negligibly. Studies of CT-DNA interactions in cell-free media suggest combined weak monofunctional coordinative and intercalative binding modes. The RuII arene complexes [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(Py)]2+ (1), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(4-MeOPy)]2+ (3), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(4,4â˛-bpy)]2+ (4), [(Ρ6-hmb)Ru(bpm)(Py)]2+ (8), [(Ρ6-ind)Ru(bpm)(Py)]2+ (9), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(phen)(Py)]2+ (10), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bathophen)(Py)]2+ (12), [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(NA)]2+ (15), and [(Ρ6-p-cym)Ru(bpm)(MN)]2+ (16) were cytotoxic toward A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line in the absence of photoirradiation (IC50 values in the range of 9.0â60 ÎźM)
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