Imerys: Tube Mill Optimization Project

The Tube Mill Optimization Project is in partnership with Imerys for Tube Mill 81 at their Marble Hill site in Georgia. Tube Mill 81 is a dry ball mill that operates 24/7 and makes an intermediary product for Plant 3. Tube Mill 81 needs quality improvement and a production rate increase to meet demand. Imerys’s quality specification is between a particle size of 12-18 microns and an acceptable production rate of 5 tons per hour. This project focuses on the development and implementation of three solutions: increase the amps on the separator to increase production, replace missing classifier blades in the separator to improve quality, and put new media balls in the tube mill to improve grinding efficiency. Before and after each change, product samples are analyzed to measure changes in quality in particle size (microns). A rate check shows the production in tons per hour (TPH). The baseline data analysis revealed the average product size at 41.5 amps is 13.86 microns and production is 3.84 TPH. After increasing the separator amps from 41.5 to 43, the production increased to 5.28 TPH. This is 1.44 TPH more and a 37.5% increase than the baseline results. This change is expected to yield 12,614.4 additional tons produced per year if it is kept at the higher amperage. The increase to 43 amps also shifted the average quality to 14.6 microns, an increase of 0.74 microns or a 5.34% increase. Though this measurement is larger than the baseline result, it is still within the 12 - 18 micron acceptable range. The next steps for this solution include increasing the separator amperage in 2 amp increments until the quality leaves the acceptable quality zone or the fan limit curve threshold is surpassed and the production rate decreases. The classifier blades were ordered and installed to help improve the quality. Quotes for the media balls have been gathered and a decision will be made on the best solution. The addition of fresh media is expected to increase grinding efficiency and production rate. Overall, the team helped increase production and identified ways to help improve the quality

A comparison of the maximum locomotor intensities in age-grade international and academy rugby union

Introduction Age-grade (e.g., U18) rugby union players play in multiple playing levels across a season, including international and academy competition. One method for quantifying the physical characteristics of different playing levels is to calculate the maximum locomotor intensity using relative distance (m·min-1) and high-speed (>5.5 m·s-1) relative distance (HSm·min-1). The aims of the study were to quantify the maximum locomotor intensities from match-play and compare between U18 international and academy levels. Methods In total, 142 U18 male rugby union players provided 232 observations. During match- play each player wore a micro-technology device (S5 Optimeye, Catapult Sports) that contained a global positioning system. Using the raw instantaneous speed (m·s-1) downloaded at 10 Hz, variables were calculated through the use of a 0.1 s rolling mean for time durations (15, 30 s and 1, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 10 min) relevant to age-grade rugby union. Players were split into four positional groups of: front row, back five, scrum-halves, and inside and outside backs. A linear mixed model was used to account for the repeated measurements of players and then results were interpreted with effect sizes (ES) ±90% confidence intervals and classified as trivial (0.00-0.19); small (0.20-0.59); moderate (0.60-1.19) and large (1.20-1.99). Ethics approval was granted from Leeds Beckett University. Results Differences between levels in relative distance were trivial or small for all time durations and positions, with the relative distance ranging from 148 ± 16 to 189 ± 17 m·min-1 in the one-minute duration. High-speed relative distance for one-minute ranged from 26 ± 11 to 71 ± 24 HSm·min-1 and throughout all comparisons were greater in international players. The differences in high-speed relative distance were moderate to large (ES = 1.17 ±0.64 to 1.59 ±0.64) in front row players. The differences between the back five positional groups were small (ES = 0.31 ±0.52 to 0.45 ±0.57) for high-speed relative distance. There were small differences between the groups of scrum halves in the 15 s, 30 s and 1 min durations (ES = 0.56 ±0.79 to 0.59 ±0.78), with moderate to large differences in time durations ≥2 min (ES = 0.82 ±0.87 to 1.24 ±0.93). The differences in high-speed relative distance were trivial to small (ES = 0.02 ±0.51 to 0.39 ±0.58) in the inside and outside backs comparison. Conclusion Relative distance was similar between playing levels but appears to be comparable to data from senior international rugby union match-play in previous studies. There is a greater amount of high-speed relative distance per minute completed during U18 international matches compared to U18 academy matches. Coaches working with rugby players can use this information to appropriately overload the intensity of running, specific to time durations and positions

Beyond gender diversity: How specific attributes of female directors affect earnings management

We apply the system GMM regression estimation approach to a matched sample of French firms listed on Euronext Paris during the period 2001–2010 in order to investigate the relationship between female directors and earnings management by considering their specific (statutory and demographic) attributes. We first find that the presence of female directors deters managers from managing earnings. However, this finding does not hold when the statutory and demographic attributes of female directors are taken into account, thus showing that the detection and the correction of earnings management require particular competencies and skills. Interestingly, we find that business expertise and audit committee membership are key attributes of female directors that promote the effective monitoring of earnings management. An important implication of our findings is that the decision to appoint women on corporate boards should be based more on their statutory and demographic attributes than on blind implementation of gender quotas. Finally, our supplementary analysis reveals that female CEOs and CFOs are strongly inclined to reduce earnings management

The effect of DEFRA guidance on greenhouse gas disclosure

This paper investigates the effect of the 2009 guidance of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on greenhouse gas (GHG) disclosure. The sample comprises 215 companies from a population of London Stock Exchange FTSE 350 companies over four years (2008e 2011). To quantify GHG disclosure, a research index methodology is employed, with information derived from several GHG reporting frameworks. The econometric model is estimated using panel fixed effects. Our findings suggest that the publication of the 2009 guidance has had a significant effect on the level of GHG disclosure, and that corporate governance mechanisms (board size, director ownership, and ownership concentration) also affect the extent of GHG information disclosure. The results also indicate that companies increased their disclosures prior to the 2009 guidance in anticipation of its publication. These results have important implications for the government, suggesting that non-mandatory guidance could increase disclosure as much as do mandatory requirements

Corporate Governance and Tobin's Q as a Measure of Organisational Performance

This empirical study examines the relationship between corporate governance and organisational performance (OP), measured in Tobin’s Q in the context of an emerging economy for which, as yet, only a handful of studies have been conducted. We employ a System GMM approach controlling for endogeneity, and test it on a newly created dataset comprising 324 stock exchange-listed firms in Pakistan. We find that Board size, number of Board committees and Ownership concentration are positively linked with high TQ ratio, whilst Board independence and CEO duality display a negative relationship. In terms of moderating effects, we find that ownership concentration negatively moderates the relationship between Board independence and OP, as well as that of CEO duality and OP. The relationship between the number of Board committees and OP is positively moderated by ownership concentration. Our findings contribute towards better articulating and applying a more concrete measure of OP—that of TQ ratio—whilst, at the same time, testing the Board composition–performance relationship in the context of an upcoming and increasingly important emerging market. Wider applicability of results and policy implications are discussed

Effects of Anacetrapib in Patients with Atherosclerotic Vascular Disease

BACKGROUND: Patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease remain at high risk for cardiovascular events despite effective statin-based treatment of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. The inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) by anacetrapib reduces LDL cholesterol levels and increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. However, trials of other CETP inhibitors have shown neutral or adverse effects on cardiovascular outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 30,449 adults with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive atorvastatin therapy and who had a mean LDL cholesterol level of 61 mg per deciliter (1.58 mmol per liter), a mean non-HDL cholesterol level of 92 mg per deciliter (2.38 mmol per liter), and a mean HDL cholesterol level of 40 mg per deciliter (1.03 mmol per liter). The patients were assigned to receive either 100 mg of anacetrapib once daily (15,225 patients) or matching placebo (15,224 patients). The primary outcome was the first major coronary event, a composite of coronary death, myocardial infarction, or coronary revascularization. RESULTS: During the median follow-up period of 4.1 years, the primary outcome occurred in significantly fewer patients in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (1640 of 15,225 patients [10.8%] vs. 1803 of 15,224 patients [11.8%]; rate ratio, 0.91; 95% confidence interval, 0.85 to 0.97; P=0.004). The relative difference in risk was similar across multiple prespecified subgroups. At the trial midpoint, the mean level of HDL cholesterol was higher by 43 mg per deciliter (1.12 mmol per liter) in the anacetrapib group than in the placebo group (a relative difference of 104%), and the mean level of non-HDL cholesterol was lower by 17 mg per deciliter (0.44 mmol per liter), a relative difference of -18%. There were no significant between-group differences in the risk of death, cancer, or other serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with atherosclerotic vascular disease who were receiving intensive statin therapy, the use of anacetrapib resulted in a lower incidence of major coronary events than the use of placebo. (Funded by Merck and others; Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN48678192 ; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01252953 ; and EudraCT number, 2010-023467-18 .)

Effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and angiotensin receptor blocker initiation on organ support-free days in patients hospitalized with COVID-19

IMPORTANCE Overactivation of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) may contribute to poor clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Objective To determine whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) initiation improves outcomes in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS In an ongoing, adaptive platform randomized clinical trial, 721 critically ill and 58 non–critically ill hospitalized adults were randomized to receive an RAS inhibitor or control between March 16, 2021, and February 25, 2022, at 69 sites in 7 countries (final follow-up on June 1, 2022). INTERVENTIONS Patients were randomized to receive open-label initiation of an ACE inhibitor (n = 257), ARB (n = 248), ARB in combination with DMX-200 (a chemokine receptor-2 inhibitor; n = 10), or no RAS inhibitor (control; n = 264) for up to 10 days. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was organ support–free days, a composite of hospital survival and days alive without cardiovascular or respiratory organ support through 21 days. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model. Odds ratios (ORs) greater than 1 represent improved outcomes. RESULTS On February 25, 2022, enrollment was discontinued due to safety concerns. Among 679 critically ill patients with available primary outcome data, the median age was 56 years and 239 participants (35.2%) were women. Median (IQR) organ support–free days among critically ill patients was 10 (–1 to 16) in the ACE inhibitor group (n = 231), 8 (–1 to 17) in the ARB group (n = 217), and 12 (0 to 17) in the control group (n = 231) (median adjusted odds ratios of 0.77 [95% bayesian credible interval, 0.58-1.06] for improvement for ACE inhibitor and 0.76 [95% credible interval, 0.56-1.05] for ARB compared with control). The posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitors and ARBs worsened organ support–free days compared with control were 94.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Hospital survival occurred in 166 of 231 critically ill participants (71.9%) in the ACE inhibitor group, 152 of 217 (70.0%) in the ARB group, and 182 of 231 (78.8%) in the control group (posterior probabilities that ACE inhibitor and ARB worsened hospital survival compared with control were 95.3% and 98.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this trial, among critically ill adults with COVID-19, initiation of an ACE inhibitor or ARB did not improve, and likely worsened, clinical outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT0273570

Eruptive milia and comedones during treatment with dovitinib

Dovitinib (TKI258) is a multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently under clinical trials for a wide variety of cancers. Well-known side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. To date, there have only been only two reported cases with skin manifestations as a side effect. We report a case of eruptive facial milia and comedones in the setting of dovitinib treatment for metastatic gastrointestinal cancer. This case is unique as the clinical presentation was more rapid in onset and showed an absence of inflammatory lesions. Although the pathogenesis for skin manifestations is presently unknown, we present this case to increase awareness of potentially under-reported cutaneous side effects

Eruptive milia and comedones during treatment with dovitinib

Dovitinib (TKI258) is a multi-targeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor currently under clinical trials for a wide variety of cancers. Well-known side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and fatigue. To date, there have only been only two reported cases with skin manifestations as a side effect. We report a case of eruptive facial milia and comedones in the setting of dovitinib treatment for metastatic gastrointestinal cancer. This case is unique as the clinical presentation was more rapid in onset and showed an absence of inflammatory lesions. Although the pathogenesis for skin manifestations is presently unknown, we present this case to increase awareness of potentially under-reported cutaneous side effects