Compensation Committee Quality and Effective Executive Remuneration

Grounding in the agency theory, this paper questions whether high quality compensation committee influences the design of executive remuneration towards the alignment of the contrasting interests between managers and shareholders. Relying on a comprehensive approach that captures the compensation committee quality based on different attributes (i.e. independence, interlocking directorates, directors appointed by minorities) we conduct a two-step empirical analysis. First, we illustrate the evolution over time of the stock option plan characteristics and construct an illustrative diagram that shows the linkages between the attributes of the compensation committee quality and the elements of the option plans. Second, we run a probit regression analysis to deeply investigate the picture emerging from the diagram. Our results document that the quality of compensation committee significantly affects the assignment of incentive stock option plans. The paper evidence advances the knowledge in the literature on compensation committee and executive remuneration, by highlighting that structural characteristics of the committee other than independence of its members play a pivotal role in writing effective remuneration contracts for the executives. Our findings are also useful for investors and policymakers.

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Influence of technology parameters of free-cutting steel continuous casting on the billet internal structure

Ferrous Metallurgy Bulletin of Scientific Technical and Economic Information ◽

10.32339/0135-5910-2020-2-139-142 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 76 (2) ◽

pp. 139-142

Author(s):

A. T. Kunakbaeva ◽

A. M. Stolyarov ◽

M. V. Potapova

Keyword(s):

Regression Analysis ◽

Continuous Casting ◽

Internal Structure ◽

Sulfur Content ◽

Manganese Content ◽

High Quality ◽

Correlation And Regression Analysis ◽

Cutting Steel ◽

Continuously Cast

Free-cutting steel gains specific working properties thanks to the high content of sulfur and phosphorus. These elements, especially sulfur, have a rather high tendency to segregation. Therefore, segregation defects in free-cutting steel continuously cast billets can be significantly developed. The aim of the work was to study the influence of the chemical composition of freecutting steel and casting technological parameters on the quality of the macrostructure of continuously cast billets. A metallographic assessment of the internal structure of cast metal made of free-cutting steel and data processing by application of correlation and regression analysis were the research methods. The array of production data of 43 heats of free-cutting steel of grade A12 was studied. Steel casting on a five-strand radial type continuous casting machine was carried out by various methods of metal pouring from tundish into the molds. Metal of 19 heats was poured with an open stream, and 24 heats – by a closed stream through submerged nozzles with a vertical hole. High-quality billets had a cross-sectional size of 150×150 mm. The macrostructure of high-quality square billets made of free-cutting steel of A12 grade is characterized by the presence of central porosity, axial segregation and peripheral point contamination, the degree of development of which was in the range from 1.5 to 2.0 points, segregation cracks and strips – about 1.0 points. In the course of casting with an open stream, almost all of these defects are more developed comparing with the casting by a closed stream. As a result of correlation and regression analysis, linear dependences of the development degree of segregation cracks and strips both axial and angular on the sulfur content in steel and on the ratio of manganese content to sulfur content were established. The degree of these defects development increases with growing of sulfur content in steel of A12 grade. These defects had especially strong development when sulfur content in steel was of more than 0.10%. To improve the quality of cast metal, it is necessary to have the ratio of the manganese content to the sulfur content in the metal more than eight.

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Dynamic Signaling with Dropout Risk

American Economic Journal Microeconomics ◽

10.1257/mic.20120112 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 57-82 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Francesc Dilmé ◽

Fei Li

Keyword(s):

Time Varying ◽

High Quality ◽

Indivisible Good ◽

Initial Belief ◽

Costly Delay ◽

Over Time

We study the role of dropout risk in dynamic signaling. A seller privately knows the quality of an indivisible good and decides when to trade. In each period, he may draw a dropout shock that forces him to trade immediately. To avoid costly delay, the seller with a low-quality good voluntarily pools with early dropouts, implying that the expected quality of the good increases over time. We characterize the time-varying equilibrium trading dynamics. It is demonstrated that the maximum equilibrium delay of trade is decreasing in the initial belief that the good is of high quality. (JEL C73, D82, D83)

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Critical appraisal and comparison of recommendations of clinical practice guidelines for treatment of schizophrenia in children and adolescents: a methodological survey protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038646 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. e038646

Author(s):

Maíra Ramos Alves ◽

Cristiane de Cássia Bergamaschi ◽

Flávia Blaseck Sorrilha ◽

Izabela Fulone ◽

Silvio Barberato-Filho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽

Practice Guidelines ◽

Future Research ◽

High Quality ◽

Agree Ii ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Over Time

IntroductionThe number of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have increased substantially mainly in the paediatric area of mental health. However, little is known about the quality or how recommendations for the treatment of disorders such as schizophrenia in children and adolescents have changed over time. The aim of this study will be to assess the quality of the development of CPGs for the treatment and management of schizophrenia in children and adolescents over time using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II (AGREE II) tool and to compare the recommendations and interventions described in these documents.Methods and analysisCPGs will be identified using a prospective protocol through a systematic search of multiple databases (Medline, Embase, Health Systems Evidence, Epistemonikos, Lilacs, etc) and guideline websites from 2004 to December 2020. The quality of the guidelines will be assessed by three reviewers, independently using the AGREE II. CPGs will be considered of high-quality if they scored ≥60% in four or more domains of the AGREE II instrument. Non-parametric tests will be used to test for the change of quality over time. We will summarise the different evidence grading systems and compare the recommendations.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required since it is a literature-based study. Future results of the research can be submitted for publication in scientific journals of high impact, peer reviewed and also published in national and international conferences. The results derived from this study will contribute to the improvement of health institutions and policies, informing about existing recommendation guidelines and about deficiencies and qualities found in those. This study may also identify key areas for future research. This study may guide the search and choice for high quality CPGs by health policy makers and health professionals and subsidise future adaptations.Protocol registration numberCRD42020164899.

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Evolution of orbit and clock quality for real-time multi-GNSS solutions

GPS Solutions ◽

10.1007/s10291-020-01026-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Kamil Kazmierski ◽

Radoslaw Zajdel ◽

Krzysztof Sośnica

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Atomic Clock ◽

Orbital Plane ◽

Poor Quality ◽

Satellite Orbits ◽

High Quality ◽

Changes Over Time ◽

Over Time ◽

Orbit Characteristics

Abstract High-quality satellite orbits and clocks are necessary for multi-GNSS precise point positioning and timing. In undifferenced GNSS solutions, the quality of orbit and clock products significantly influences the resulting position accuracy; therefore, for precise positioning in real time, the corrections for orbits and clocks are generated and distributed to users. In this research, we assess the quality and the availability of real-time CNES orbits and clocks for GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou-2 separated by satellite blocks and types, as well as the product quality changes over time. We calculate the signal-in-space ranging error (SISRE) as the main orbit and clock quality indicator. Moreover, we employ independent orbit validation based on satellite laser ranging. We found that the most accurate orbits are currently available for GPS. However, Galileo utmost stable atomic clocks compensate for systematic errors in Galileo orbits. As a result, the SISRE for Galileo is lower than that for GPS, equaling 1.6 and 2.3 cm for Galileo and GPS, respectively. The GLONASS satellites, despite the high quality of their orbits, are characterized by poor quality of clocks, and together with BeiDou-2 in medium and geosynchronous inclined orbits, are characterized by SISRE of 4–6 cm. BeiDou-2 in geostationary orbits is characterized by large orbital errors and the lowest availability of real-time orbit and clock corrections due to a large number of satellite maneuvers. The quality of GNSS orbit and clock corrections changes over time and depends on satellite type, block, orbit characteristics, onboard atomic clock, and the sun elevation above the orbital plane.

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Bridging the gap between geographic concept and the data we have: The case of labor markets in the USA

Environment and Planning A Economy and Space ◽

10.1177/0308518x20906154 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 52 (7) ◽

pp. 1395-1414

Author(s):

Christopher S Fowler ◽

Leif Jensen

Keyword(s):

Labor Market ◽

Labor Markets ◽

Research Question ◽

High Quality ◽

Regional Bias ◽

Regional Variations ◽

Research Outcomes ◽

The Usa ◽

Over Time

A broad literature has made it clear that geographic units must be selected with care or they are likely to introduce error and uncertainty into results. Nevertheless, researchers often use data “off the shelf” with the implicit assumptions that their observations are consistent with the geographical concept relevant for their research question, and that they are of uniformly high quality in capturing this geographic identity. In this paper, we consider the geographical concept of “labor market” and offer a template for both clarifying its meaning for research and testing the suitability of extant labor-market delineations. We establish a set of metrics for comparing the quality of existing labor-market delineations with respect to the diverse meanings that researchers apply to the concept. Using the fit metrics established here, researchers can explore how delineations vary geographically, how they vary over time, and how this variation may shape research outcomes. Our assessment is that the quality of the extant delineations is relatively high overall. However, we find that different delineations vary significantly in the types of labor markets they represent, and that regional variations in fit within any given delineation may introduce noise or regional bias that merits consideration in any analysis conducted with these units. More broadly, the kinds of metrics we propose here have applicability for many other geographic entities where boundaries and scale can be only imperfectly defined.

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Integrated Quality-Based Production-Distribution Planning in Two-Echelon Supply Chains

Mathematical Problems in Engineering ◽

10.1155/2021/6615634 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Husein Pasha ◽

Isa Nakhai Kamalabadi ◽

Alireza Eydi

Keyword(s):

Mixed Integer ◽

High Quality ◽

Swarm Optimization ◽

Integrated Production ◽

Quality Degradation ◽

Production Distribution ◽

Quality Of Products ◽

Over Time

The integrated production-distribution (P-D) planning has turned into one of the most essential areas in supply chain (SC) management in recent years, especially in the case of perishable products in which the quality of products can change over time. Nonetheless, so far, the suggested models have focused on the P-D stages of the chain while the delivery of high-quality products to customers is of paramount significance in the perishable SC. In the present paper, a multiobjective, mixed-integer, and nonlinear programming (MOMINLP) mathematical model was developed for integrated P-D deteriorating items in a two-echelon SC that emphasizes quality degradation. Quality is monitored and calculated as a function of temperature and time throughout the SC, and the main purpose of the model is to first increase the quality of products delivered to customers and, second, minimize the SC costs. To optimize the problem, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach was also incorporated into the model. The obtained model was applied to a case study in Protein Gostar Sina Company in Iran, which resulted in decreased P-D costs as well as increased customer satisfaction.

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Patient-related healthcare disparities in the quality of acute hip fracture care: a 10-year nationwide population-based cohort study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051424 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e051424

Author(s):

Pia Kjær Kristensen ◽

Anne Mette Falstie-Jensen ◽

Morten Madsen ◽

Søren Paaske Johnsen

Keyword(s):

Hip Fracture ◽

Quality Care ◽

Population Based ◽

Nutritional Risk ◽

High Quality ◽

Process Measures ◽

Fracture Care ◽

The Individual ◽

Over Time

ObjectivesTo characterise and quantify possible patient-related disparities in hip fracture care including temporal changes.DesignPopulation-based cohort study.SettingAll Danish hospitals treating patients with hip fracture.Participants60 275 hip fracture patients from 2007 to 2016.InterventionsQuality of care was defined as fulfilment of eligible care process measures for the individual patient recommended by an expert panel. Using yearly logistic regression models, we predicted the individual patient’s probability for receiving high-quality care, resulting in a distribution of adjusted probabilities based on age, sex, comorbidity, fracture type, education, family mean income, migration status, cohabitation status, employment status, nursing home residence and type of municipality. Based on the distribution, we identified best-off patients (ie, the 10% of patients with the highest probability) and worst-off patients (ie, the 10% of patients with the lowest probability). We evaluated disparities in quality of care by measuring the distance in fulfilment of outcomes between the best-off and worst-off patients.Primary and secondary outcome measuresThe primary outcome was fulfilment of all-or-none, defined as receiving all relevant process measures. Secondary outcomes were fulfilment of the individual process measures including preoperative optimisation, early surgery, early mobilisation, assessment of pain, basic mobility, nutritional risk and need for antiosteoporotic medication, fall prevention and a postdischarge rehabilitation programme.ResultsThe proportion of patients receiving high-quality care varied over time for both best-off and worst-off patients. The absolute difference in percentage points between the best-off and worst-off patients for receiving all-or-none of the eligible process measures was 12 (95% CI 6 to 18) in 2007 and 23 (95% CI 19 to 28) in 2016. Disparities were consistent for a range of care processes, including assessment of pain, mobilisation within 24 hours, assessment of need for antiosteoporotic medication and nutritional risk assessment.ConclusionsDisparity of care between best-off and worst-off patients remained substantial over time.

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How Service Quality Variability Hurts Revenue When Customers Learn: Implications for Dynamic Personalized Pricing

Operations Research ◽

10.1287/opre.2020.2058 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gregory DeCroix ◽

Xiaoyang Long ◽

Jordan Tong

Keyword(s):

Service Quality ◽

Dynamic Pricing ◽

High Quality ◽

Over Time

Most service settings involve some degree of variability in the quality of customers’ experiences. An understudied mechanism is analyzed by which this variability can reduce firm revenues when customers do not know true service quality but rather learn about that quality over time based on their experiences. Essentially, customers get stuck with low-quality opinions and low purchase likelihoods after unusually bad experiences. However, high-quality opinions after unusually good experiences are quickly corrected. The authors show that dynamic pricing can help mitigate this effect. Specifically, if the firm can set individual prices so that each customer perceives the same surplus, then the variability impact is entirely eliminated. They also demonstrate that simpler heuristics similar to those observed in practice (requiring less information and pricing flexibility) can partially mitigate the revenue loss.

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An analysis of research quality underlying IDSA clinical practice guidelines: a cross-sectional study

Journal of Osteopathic Medicine ◽

10.1515/jom-2020-0081 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 121 (3) ◽

pp. 319-323

Author(s):

Benjamin Greiner ◽

Ryan Essex ◽

Denna Wheeler

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Clinical Practice Guidelines ◽

Practice Guidelines ◽

Research Quality ◽

High Quality ◽

Quality Research ◽

Chi Square Analysis ◽

Quality Of Research ◽

Over Time

Abstract Context As a result of new developments in medicine, the need for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPG) is of utmost importance. However, studies have shown that many medical societies are using low quality research to develop CPGs. Objectives To evaluate the quality of research underlying the CPGs issued by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Methods We examined 29 CPGs issued between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2019 and classified each by research quality according to levels reported by the CPG authors and previously specified by the IDSA: Levels I through III, corresponding to high, moderate, and low quality of evidence, respectively. Each ranking was cross-checked with a second researcher to improve inter-rater reliability. To analyze evolution of research quality over time, three updated CPGs were randomly selected and compared to their original versions. Chi-square analysis was then performed to determine statistical significance. Results We evaluated the quality of research for 2,920 recommendations within the 29 CPGs that met our criteria and found that 418 (14%) were developed using high-quality (Level I) research from randomized, controlled trials. Of the remaining recommendations, 928 (32%) were based on moderate quality research (observational studies) and 1574 (54%) on low quality research (expert opinion). A Pearson chi-squared analysis indicated no-statistically significant difference between original guidelines or their subsequent updates for Clostridium difficile (χ2=0.323; n=85; degrees of freedom [df]=2; p=0.851), candidiasis (χ2=4.133; n=195; df=2; p=0.127), or coccidiomycosis (χ2=0.531; n=95; df=1; p=0.466). Conclusions The proportion of high-quality research underlying guideline recommendations is remarkably low, indicating that moderate and low quality evidence is still influencing infectious disease guidelines despite IDSA standards. Moreover, the quality of research has not significantly changed over time. IDSA CPGs are a formidable source of information for clinicians, but an increased number of quality studies should be utilized to further guide CPG development.

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Quality of the Living Environment in the Neighborhood of Murgle – Scandinavian Urbanism in Ljubljana

Dela ◽

10.4312/dela.46.123-141 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 123-141

Author(s):

Dejan Rebernik

Keyword(s):

Urban Design ◽

Living Environment ◽

Housing Estate ◽

Residential Areas ◽

High Quality ◽

Social Transformations ◽

Quality Of Living ◽

Over Time

The main characteristic that distinguishes the Murgle housing estate from other residential areas in Ljubljana is its specific and unique urban design inspired by Scandinavian urbanism. The main goal of the paper is to present an evaluation of residents’ satisfaction with the quality of the living environment, 50 years after its construction commenced. We also analyzed gradual spatial, urbanistic and social transformations of the neighborhood over time. On the basis of the survey carried on among the residents we established that the neighborhood, despite many unregulated interventions not in accordance with its urban design, maintained a high quality of living environment.

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