Bargaining Power and Local Labour Market Influences on Wage Determination.

This paper uses a unique panel data at the level bargaining group to examine aspects of 'right-to manage' models of wage determination. Empirical measures of firms' and unions' bargaining power are identified and found to be important influences on wage setting.WAGES;BARGAINING;TIME SERIES

Novel technique for measuring dispersion and detuning of a UV written silica-on-silicon waveguide

We shall present a new method of measuring the dispersive properties of UV written waveguides in the silica-on-silicon platform used to fabricate planar Bragg gratings. The technique involves direct measurement of the modal refractive index of a waveguide produced in the material. The data obtained also provides additional information about the spectral range of Bragg grating inscription. This direct writing technique reported previously differs from fibre Bragg grating fabrication by the small spot size of the writing beam and permits detuning of the Bragg wavelength from 1250nm to 1625nm. The fabrication technique provides the exact period of the grating and thus interrogation of the gratings produces information on the effective index of the mode. A series of integrated gratings were fabricated in a direct UV written waveguide via the direct grating writing technique in order to measure the wavelength dependence of the refractive index of the material. The Sellmeier curve obtained is shown

Halite and stable chlorine isotopes in the Zag H3-6 breccia

Zag is an H3-6 chondrite regolith breccia within which we have studied 14 halite grains ?3mm. The purity of the associated NaCl-H2O brine is implied by freezing characteristics of fluid inclusions in the halite and EPMA analyses together with a lack of other evaporite-like phases in the Zag H3-6 component. This is inconsistent with multistage evolution of the fluid involving scavenging of cations in the Zag region of the parent body. We suggest that the halite grains are clastic and did not crystallise in situ. Halite and water-soluble extracts from Zag have light Cl isotopic compositions, ?37-Cl = -1.4 to '2.8 �. Previously reported bulk carbonaceous chondrite values are approximately ?37-Cl = +3 to +4 �. This difference is too great to be the result of fractionation during evaporation and instead we suggest that Cl isotopes in chondrites are fractionated between a light reservoir associated with fluids and a heavier reservoir associated with higher temperature phases such as phosphates and silicates. Extraterrestrial carbon released at 600 degrees Celsius from the H3-4 matrix has ?13-C = -20 �, consistent with poorly graphitised material being introduced into the matrix rather than indigenous carbonate derived from a brine. We have also examined 28 other H-chondrite falls in order to ascertain how widespread halite or evaporite-like mineral assemblages are in ordinary chondrites. We did not find any more to add to Zag (H3-6) and Monahans (H5), which suggests that such highly soluble phases were not usually preserved on the parent bodies

An integrated optofluidic Bragg grating device to measure the dynamic composition of a fluid

Strong transitional mixing effects were observed by a planar Bragg grating sensor within a microfluidic system. This property was used to develop an integrated optofluidic sensor for detection of the composition of mixed solvent systems

Affective issues in learning technologies: emotional responses to technology and technology's role in supporting socio-emotional skills

This paper focuses on some of the author's research studies over the past thirty years and places these in a wider context to reflect on research into affective issues in learning technologies over this period, and to consider whether and how the issues uncovered by research have changed as technologies have developed over time. Three issues are given particular attention: firstly the reasons for learners' use or lack of use of technologies for their learning; secondly adult learners' attitudes towards using technology for learning and thirdly how technology might support socio-emotional development and expression in children. The discussion of these issues is framed by two of the author's research projects. For the first two issues this is an early study of students' perceptions and attitudes towards using computers for tutorial learning in 1980. The factors that influenced the students' use of the computer tutorials are discussed (including access, assessment and anxiety about using computers) and also the extent to which some of these factors persist for many learners using (or not using) technologies today. The discussion of the third issue draws on a series of studies conducted in the 1990s to investigate whether educational technology could support children and young people's emotional expression and communication and development of socio-emotional skills. Finally the paper considers how these kinds of issues have been taken forward and how they are represented in contemporary research and suggests that trust is an important factor in using learning technologies

Monitoring the deflection of a membrane using direct UV written planar Bragg gratings

A thin (~100 µm thick) silica-on-silicon square membrane (10 mm x 10 mm) has been fabricated and its deflection monitored through a 100 Bragg grating array defined within the membrane

An integrated Bragg grating oxygen sensor using a hydrophobic sol-gel layer doped with an organic dye

Oxygen sensing is required for the understanding of many chemical processes across a diverse set of fields including medicine, environmental science and chemical synthesis. Oxygen sensing can be achieved through the use of electronic sensors. However, there are limitations associated with electronic sensors including susceptibility to electromagnetic interference and presenting a spark risk in flammable environments. Optical fiber and integrated optical chemical sensors overcome these limitations of electrical based sensing methods