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MPS, Outside Interests, and Corporate Boards: Too Busy to Serve?
Get PDFThe corporate governance literature has often been concerned with whether individuals with a high number of board directorships are too busy to serve in their role. In the UK, many MPs also hold positions on boards of directors. This raises the question of whether MPs with board memberships are too busy to serve their constituents, party and parliament. To address this question, we construct a network of directors (including MPs) and the firms they are associated with. We then draw on measures from social network analysis to capture how embedded these individuals are in the UK corporate system. We employ a regression approach to examine the relationship between MPs’ position in the corporate system and their participation in Parliament. We find that that some positions within the corporate network are associated with increased participation and others with decreased participation. MP participation increases when they have high numbers of directorships or high levels of corporate opportunity, but it decreases for those who are deeply embedded in the corporate system, sitting on the boards of well-connected firms. The latter are potentially ‘too busy’ to serve
A real‐time lane detection network using two‐directional separation attention
No full textReal-time network by adopting attention mechanism is helpful for enhancing lane detection capability of autonomous vehicles. This paper proposes a real-time lane detection network (TSA-LNet) that incorporates a lightweight network (LNet) and a two-directional separation attention (TSA) to enhance the lane detection capability of autonomous vehicles. By adopting the attention mechanism, the real-time performance and detection accuracy are significantly improved. Specifically, LNet employs symmetry layer to drastically reduce the number of parameters and the network's running time. TSA infers the attention map along two separate directions, transverse and longitudinal, and performs adaptive feature refinement by multiplying the attention map with the input feature map. TSA can be integrated into LNet to capture the local textural and global contextual information of lanes without increasing the processing time. Results on popular benchmarks demonstrate that TSA-LNet achieves outstanding detection accuracy and faster speed (6.99 ms per image). Additionally, TSA-LNet exhibits excellent robustness in real-world scenarios
Stability of Forced Higher-Order Continuous-Time Lur'e Systems: a Behavioural Input-Output Perspective
Get PDFWe consider a class of forced continuous-time Lur'e systems obtained by applying nonlinear feedback to a higher-order linear differential equation which defines an input-output system in the sense of behavioural systems theory. This linear system directly relates the input and output signals and does not involve any internal, latent or state variables. A stability theory subsuming results of circle criterion type is developed, including criteria for input-to-output stability and strong integral input-to-output stability, concepts which are very much reminiscent of input-to-state stability and strong integral input-to-state stability, respectively. The methods used in the paper combine ideas from the behavioural approach to systems and control, absolute stability theory and input-to-state stability theory
‘There is no other option’: Exploring health care providers' experiences implementing regional multisite midwifery model of care in South Australia
Get PDFIntroductionIn the past 30 years, 60% of South Australia’s rural maternity units have closed. Evidence demonstrates midwifery models of care offer regional Australia sustainable birthing services. Five birthing sites within the York and Northern Region of South Australia, designed in collaboration with key stakeholders, offered a new all-risk midwifery continuity of care model (MMoC). All pregnant women in the region were allocated to a known midwife once pregnancy was confirmed. In July 2019, the pilot program was implemented and an evaluation undertaken.ObjectiveThe study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability, and sustainability of the new midwifery model of care from the perspective of health care providers.DesignThe evaluation utilised a mixed methods design using focus groups and surveys to explore experiences of health care providers impacted by the implementation of the MMoC. This paper reports on midwives, doctors and nurses experiences at different time points, to gain insight into the model of care from the care providers impacted by the change to services.FindingsThe first round of focus groups included 14 midwives, 6 hospital nurses/midwives and 5 doctors with the overarching theme that the ‘MMoC was working well.’ The second round of focus groups were undertaken across the five sites with 10 midwives, 9 hospital nurses/midwives and 5 doctors. The overarching theme captured all participants commitment to the MMoC, with agreement that ‘there is no other option - it has to work’.DiscussionAll participants reported positive outcomes and a strong commitment to navigate the changes required to implement the new model of care. Collaboration and communication was expressed as key elements for success. Specific challenges and complexities were evident including a need to clarify expectations and the workload for midwives, and for nurses who were accustomed to having midwives 24 hours a day in hospitals.ConclusionThis innovative model responds to challenges in providing rural maternity care and offers a sustainable model for maternity services and workforce. There is an overwhelming commitment and consensus that there is ‘no other option–it has to work’
LGBT+ mainstreaming on strictly come dancing: Queering the norms of ballroom dancing
Get PDFThis paper proposes that LGBT+ mainstreaming on reality television programme Strictly Come Dancing creates space for audience demand for radical, authentic representations of same-sex desire and intimacy, both of which challenges normative representations of ballroom dancing. Integrating concepts of normativity and authenticity explored in existing scholarship, I argue against the encountering through a defensive stance, of reality TV’s normalization of queer narratives to promote authentic, inclusive representation. Focusing on dance-themed British reality TV programme for family entertainment, I draw on a queer reading of 285 newspaper articles on Strictly Come Dancing’s same-sex dance partnerships and 35 interviews with LGBT+ equality dancers in the United Kingdom, to conclude that active engagement with mechanisms of normalization can open up spaces for a reclamation of queer representation in its authenticity. The article makes a contribution to media and cultural studies and queer television scholarship through a troubling of anti-normativity, proposing a working with normativity to achieve queer inclusivity
Firm-level pollution and membership of emission trading schemes
Get PDFSeveral firms have joined emission trading schemes in response to the call for corporate climate action. Using a comprehensive international data set on corporate membership of emission trading schemes (ETSs), we find that members of the scheme emit more CO2 than non-participants. This result also holds when exploring the corporate discharge of sulphur and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The magnitude of this relationship persists even in the long run showing little evidence of a reduction from the firms in polluting the environment. We also find that firms that select to exit the scheme continue to pollute at a higher rate in the following years. Firms that enter the scheme for the first time increase their pollution in the following years. Although we identify significant differences at a country and continental level on the effectiveness of ETSs, our results raise some concerns about ETSs’ role
Facile synthesis: from Laminaria hyperborea to cellulose films and fibers
Get PDFInverted nozzle-pressurized gyration was used as a processing methodology for regenerating cellulose extracted from Laminaria hyperborea for the first time. The viscoelasticity of cellulose/1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (EMIM OAc) solutions exhibited high concentration dependence, leading to the production of cellulose products with diverse structures. The regenerated cellulose transitioned from thin films to fibers (≈ 5 μm diameter) as the concentration was increased. The impact of collection distance and working pressure on the morphology and yield of fibers was investigated. This work provides a new sustainable route for processing biopolymers, offering significant potential for applications in biomedicine and healthcare
ICD-11 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) in mental health support-seeking former-serving Australian Defence Force Veterans
Get PDFBackgroundICD-11 complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a more severe condition than PTSD, and recent studies indicate it is more prevalent among military samples. In this study, we tested the psychometric properties of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), assessed the relative prevalence rates of PTSD and CPTSD in the sample population, and explored relationships between CPTSD and PTSD and a range of risk-factors.MethodsSurvey participants (N = 189) were mental health support-seeking former-serving veterans of the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) recruited from primary care. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the factorial validity of the ITQ.ResultsThe latent structure of the ITQ was best represented by a two-factor second-order model consistent with the ICD-11 model of CPTSD. The ITQ scale scores demonstrated excellent internal reliability. Overall, 9.1% (95% CI = 4.8%, 13.5%) met diagnostic requirements for PTSD and an additional 51.4% (95% CI = 44.0%, 58.9%) met requirements for CPTSD. Those meeting diagnostic requirements for CPTSD were more likely to have served in the military for 15 years or longer, had a history of more traumatic life events, and had the highest levels of depression, anxiety and stress symptoms.ConclusionThe ITQ can effectively distinguish between PTSD and CPTSD within primary care samples of ADF veterans. A significantly greater proportion of ADF veterans met criteria for CPTSD than PTSD. Australian military mental health services should adopt the ITQ to routinely screen for CPTSD and develop CPTSD specific interventions to promote recovery in ADF veterans with CPTSD
Fire Design: Passive Fire Protection
No full textTo minimise fire risk, timber-frame wall and floor systems must be designed to maximise resistance, by implementing the different performance benefits of various assembly layers
ACSM's Essentials of Exercise Oncology
No full textProviding an approachable introduction to exercise oncology as well as unparalleled preparation for those preparing for credentialing in exercise oncology through the American College of Sports Medicine®, ACSM's Essentials of Exercise Oncology is your go-to guide to understanding the intricate relationship between exercise and cancer treatment. This concise text explores the epidemiology and biology of cancer, the physiological effects of exercise training on cancer development and prevention, and exercise prescription for individuals at various stages of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, as well as the behavioral and logistical challenges unique to engaging cancer patients and survivors in physical activity. Reflecting the authoritative expertise of the American College of Sports Medicine and featuring a wealth of learning tools and ancillary resources, this unique volume equips students and professionals alike with the knowledge and confidence to effectively navigate the evolving field of exercise oncology. Chapter Outline and Objectives keep students focused on essential chapter content. Chapter Summaries simplify review and reinforce key takeaways. Key Terms help students confidently identify, review, and recall important concepts. Study questions at the end of each chapter challenge students to apply what they’ve learned. Case Studies and Questions at the end of the chapter provide deeper insight on chapter topics and encourage critical thinking
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