Compensation In Order Research Articles

Switching Consumers and Product Liability: On the Optimality of Incomplete Strict Liability

This paper shows that it may be socially optimal to grant accident victims less than full compensation. In our framework, firms are liable under product liability but also invest in care to prevent consumers switching to competitors. Affecting the partition of consumers by means of care-taking is not desirable from a social standpoint. Consequently, it may be optimal to reduce liability below full compensation in order to adjust firms’ care incentives.

Switching Consumers and Product Liability: On the Optimality of Incomplete Strict Liability

This paper shows that it may be socially optimal to grant accident victims less than full compensation. In our framework, firms are liable under product liability but also invest in care to prevent consumers switching to competitors. Affecting the partition of consumers by means of care-taking is not desirable from a social standpoint. Consequently, it may be optimal to reduce liability below full compensation in order to adjust firms’ care incentives.

NDIR CO2 gas sensor with improved temperature compensation

This paper describes a Non-Dispersive Infrared (NDIR) CO2 gas sensor with auto-temperature compensation in order to apply HVAC systems. The developed gas sensor amplifies differentially both the output of thermopile and output of temperature sensor that has linear output characteristics. With differential amplification circuits, the output voltage of sensor module according to the CO2 concentration shows the independent temperature output characteristics from 10∘C to 40∘C. The developed sensor module shows ±30 ppm error at 1,000 ppm and ±50 ppm error at 2,000 ppm CO2 concentration regardless of temperature variations.

Studying Dynamic behavior of Distributed Parameter Processes Behavior Based on Dominant Gain Concept and it’s Use in Controlling these Processes

In this paper, distributed parameter process systems behavior is studied in frequency domain. Based on the dominant gain concept that is developed for such studies, a method is presented to control distributed parameter process systems. By using dominant gain concept, the location of open loop zeros, resulted from the time delay parameter in the process model, were changed from the right half plane to the left half plane. This will result in improvement in the performance of the control loop since open loop behavior is changed from non-minimum phase to minimum phase characteristic. Actually, the dominant gain concept is introduced in the control loop as a dominant gain constraint by the use of a first order compensator in the control loop.

Investigating the potential for marine resource protection through environmental service markets: An exploratory study from La Paz, Mexico

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have long been advocated as effective management vehicles for promoting long-term conservation of marine resources and biodiversity. However MPAs are failing in their conservation goals, impeded by insufficient funds and a heavy reliance by low-income populations on natural resources. Investigation into a potential payment for environmental services (PES) program for marine protection was conducted in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Surveys elicited tourists' willingness to pay (WTP) to reduce fishing pressure in Espíritu Santo Marine Park. Interviews with local fishermen investigated necessary levels of compensation in order to cease fishing, by proxy of required salaries in alternative employment outside of the fishing sector. Results indicated that required compensation values outweighed WTP by the tourist sector. Median WTP per trip amounted to US$12.50 and US$30, additional to pre-existing price, for day excursions and longer trips respectively. Median willingness to accept of fishermen was approximately US$135 per week, at time of survey, and required compensation was US$60 per week. Aggregated median WTP was able to cover annual compensation costs for approximately half of the fishing population. That fish stocks were not in collapse, thereby not creating sufficient scarcity and decreasing opportunity costs, and potential high transaction costs were identified as constraints of the proposed PES scheme. However, PES for marine protection should not be dismissed entirely; sites which are less productive and where fishermen's opportunity costs are low will be more suited to such a compensation scheme. Furthermore PES can work alongside existing markets.

Optimal Coordination and Penetration of Distributed Generation with Shunt FACTS Using GA/Fuzzy Rules

In recent years, integration of new distributed generation (DG) technology in distribution networks has become one of the major management concerns for professional engineers. This paper presents a dynamic methodology of optimal allocation and sizing of DG units for a given practical distribution network, so that the cost of active power can be minimized. The approach proposed is based on a combined Genetic/Fuzzy Rules. The genetic algorithm generates and optimizes combinations of distributed power generation for integration into the network in order to minimize power losses, and in second step simple fuzzy rules designs based upon practical expertise rules to control the reactive power of a multi dynamic shunt FACTS Compensator (SVC, STATCOM) in order to improve the system loadability. This proposed approach is implemented with the Matlab program and is applied to small case studies, IEEE 25-Bus and IEEE 30-Bus. The results obtained confirm the effectiveness in sizing and integration of an assigned number of DG units.

The influence of monetary compensation on relapse among addicted participants: empirical vs. anecdotal evidence.

Although common, the use of cash incentives to compensate drug-addicted participants is controversial. This is particularly true given concerns that cash incentives might precipitate relapse, as is commonly believed. The following investigation examined whether cash versus money order compensation differentially influenced drug use among 34 non-treatment-seeking, cocaine-dependent individuals. Consistent with past evidence, results did not suggest that form of compensation was associated with likelihood of continued cocaine use or dollar amount of cocaine consumed after participation. Findings do not support commonly held concerns that cash incentives increase the risk of relapse following research participation.

Coordinated design of power system stabilizers and static VAR compensators in a multi-machine power system using genetic algorithms

This paper presents a procedure to coordinated design of PSSs and SVCs in a multimachine power system. The aims of the proposed method are to find the best location and the optimal parameters of these compensators in order to improve the steady state and transient performances and also to increase the system damping over a wide range of operating conditions. The objective function of the GA allows the selection of the PSSs and SVCs to shift critical closed loop eigenvalues to the left-hand side in the complex s-plane. The multimachine power system considered in this study consists of nine buses, three generating units (steam, hydro and nuclear) and three static loads. Digital simulation studies show that the proposed design procedure provides good damping for the power system at different operating conditions, and moreover improves steady-state and transient performance of the system.

Why do firms adopt CEO stock options? Evidence from the United States

This paper examines the determinants of stock option introduction as a part of CEO compensation in listed US firms during the 1994–2004 period. The results are consistent with agency costs and recruiting considerations, suggesting that firms do not adjust CEO compensation in order to address the ‘investment horizon’ problem. The findings also suggest that CEO stock option adoption is not necessarily influenced by the same factors that have been found in the literature to affect the level of CEO stock option compensation and the adoption of broad-based stock option incentives. Overall, the findings provide evidence for several theoretical predictions, thus adding to our understanding of managerial incentives.

Dynamic Non-rational Anti-windup for Time-delay Systems with Saturating Inputs

This paper addresses the design of dynamic anti-windup compensators for time-delay systems under amplitude control constraints. Considering that the system is subject to the action of L2 bounded disturbances, a method for computing a non-rational dynamic anti-windup compensator in order to guarantee both that the trajectories of the system are bounded and a certain L2 performance level is achieved by the regulated outputs, is proposed. Based on Lyapunov-Krazovskii functionals, the use of a modified sector condition, and a classical change of variables, sufficient LMI conditions, both in local as well as global contexts, are derived to ensure the input-to-state and the internal stability of the closed-loop system. From these conditions, LMI-based optimization problems are proposed in order to minimize the L2 gain, or in order to maximize the bound on the admissible disturbances for which the trajectories are bounded. The results apply to both stable and unstable open-loop systems and, in particular, for systems presenting delayed states.

Effects of Salt Compensation on the Climate Model Response in Simulations of Large Changes of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation*

AbstractFreshwater hosing experiments with a comprehensive coupled climate model and a coupled model of intermediate complexity are performed with and without global salt compensation in order to investigate the robustness of the bipolar seesaw. In both cases, a strong reduction of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation is induced, and a warming in the South Atlantic results. When a globally uniform salt flux is applied at the surface in order to keep the global mean salinity constant, this causes additional widespread warming in the Southern Ocean. It is shown that this warming is mainly due to heat transport anomalies that are induced by the specific parameterization in ocean models to represent eddy mixing. Surface salt fluxes tend to move outcropping isopycnals equatorward. As the density perturbation originates at the surface, changes in isopycnal slopes are generated that lead to anomalies in the bolus velocity field. The associated bolus heat flux convergence creates a warming enhancing the bipolar seesaw response, particularly in the Southern Ocean. The importance of this mechanism is illustrated in coupled model simulations in which this parameterization in the ocean model component is switched on or off. Additional experiments in which the same total amount of freshwater is delivered at rates 10 times smaller show that the effect of the global salt compensation is not important in this case, but that the eddy-mixing parameterization is still responsible for a substantial temperature response in the Southern Ocean.

The state observer and compensator of a large class of 2-D acceptable singular systems

Under the assumption of nonexistence of the jump-mode, this paper gives a simple form of a large class of 2-D singular systems. This class of systems includes all the systems resulted from the linear state transformations of 2-D singular Roesser models and hence we called it the extended singular Roesser models. The criteria are presented for testing that via some suitable invertible linear state transformations, the given 2-D singular systems in the extended Roesser models can be converted equivalently to the classical Roesser models. Some results on 2-D classical singular Roesser model such as the reduced order regular observer and compensator design are generalized to the extended models.

An alternative approach to compensators design for photon beams used in radiotherapy

The use of compensators in order to achieve desired dose distribution has a long history and is a well-established technique in radiation therapy planning. There are several different calculation methods for determining a compensator's thickness. An alternative method that is based on the Cunningham's modification of Clarkson's method to calculate scattered radiation in beams with an inhomogeneous cross-section is proposed. It is well known that the total dose distribution of radiotherapy photon beam consists of the contributions of the primary beam, attenuated by the tissue layer, and the scattered radiation generated by the primary radiation in single and multiple photon scatter events. The scattered component can be represented as a function of the primary radiation. The central point of our method is the numerical estimation of the primary distribution required to achieve the desired total distribution. Now using the calculated primary distribution, the shape of the modulator could be determined. In this way the contribution of the scattered component is validated in a more accurate way than using effective attenuation coefficients, which is a common practice. The method is verified in various clinical situations and compared with the standard method. The accuracy, although dependent on geometry, was improved by at least 2%. With more complex geometries there is an even higher gain in accuracy with our method when compared to the standard method.

Partial volume effect compensation for improved reliability of quantitative blood–brain barrier permeability

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays an important role in the pathophysiology of many central nervous system disorders. In the past, a number of laboratory techniques have been proposed to quantify permeability coefficient, k(i), an important index of barrier function. Recently, MRI has been used to estimate k(i) based on the unidirectional tracer kinetics model in one compartment as proposed by Patlak et al. and has been found to be in good agreement with the gold standard quantitative autoradiography technique. Rapid data acquisition, a prerequisite of this MRI-based technique, causes a compromise in spatial resolution resulting in partial volume (PV) averaging, an effect that is seldom explicitly compensated for in quantitative neuroimaging studies. This may have profound effect on the reliability of estimates obtained using quantitative methods. Existing PV compensation techniques that use complex statistical algorithms perform corrections on stationary images. In this proof-of-principle study, the effect of PV averaging on BBB permeability coefficient has been evaluated using a simulation model, and a postprocessing technique that makes use of dynamic information has been proposed for PV compensation in order to improve the reliability of this quantitative method. A computer simulation model is presented, which evaluates the effect of PV averaging on permeability coefficient estimates. Beginning with a known k(i), a PV compensation technique is proposed, which aims at correcting calculated k(i) to obtain the original estimate. The application of the PV compensation technique is demonstrated in a rat stroke brain model. Magnetic resonance imaging experiments were performed in Wistar rats (n=2) on a 4.7-T scanner. After acquiring localizer, T2-weighted and diffusion-weighted images, a rapid T1 mapping protocol was implemented to acquire one pre-gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid baseline data set followed by a series of postinjection data sets. The data were postprocessed without and with application of PV compensation technique to obtain a k(i) estimate. The issue of PV averaging as a result of limited spatial resolution is often not addressed in quantitative MRI studies. In this work, simulation experiments have provided useful insight into the PV effects on permeability coefficient estimate. The findings of the simulation experiments agree well with the results obtained from MR experiments. Results from the MR experiments suggest that it may be important to perform PV compensation in order to improve the reliability of permeability coefficient estimates. Future work involves classification of tissue component into gray and white matter and CSF to improve the accuracy of the compensation technique and to investigate repeatability of the technique in a larger group of animals.

An investigation of the relationships between compensation practices and firm performance in the US hotel industry

Drawing on a sample of 1223 US hotels, this paper examines the relationships between compensation (direct and indirect) practices in hotel organizations and their performance. The results show that in the case of management employees, direct compensation fully mediated the relationship between indirect compensation and hotel performance. In the case of non-management employees, however, such relationship was only partially mediated by direct compensation. It is therefore important for hotel industry HR executives to pay greater attention to the nature and level of benefits being offered to non-management employees. For management employees, on the other hand, it is more important to attend to the level of direct compensation in order to ensure higher levels of organizational performance.

Harmonisation de la réparation des préjudices corporels dans l’Union Européenne. Application au contentieux de la responsabilité médicale.

Harmonisation of personal injury compensation in the European Union (EU) is crucial. Continuing on from the work begun by the European Federation of Medical Academies, a working party of the XVth Committee of the French National Academy of Medicine has sought to go beyond the restrictive framework of automobile accident compensation in order to address more universal concerns, regardless of the causes and effects of bodily injury. The specific situation of injuries resulting from medical acts was considered, both for its medicolegal complexity and its potential human consequences. After recalling relevant European legislation, the authors consider the different philosophies of medical liability and health care systems in Europe. Methodological convergence is required to achieve harmonisation of personal injury compensation regimes, and especially for the classification of different types of bodily injury, the role of social services, and the establishment of a reference for medical evaluation of injury with built-in compensation levels. The doctrines and concepts of all EU member states (civil law, common law, Nordic medical liability regimes, etc.) are discussed, together with means of facilitating their harmonisation.

DYNAMIC ANTI-WINDUP SYNTHESIS FOR DISCRETE-TIME LINEAR SYSTEMS SUBJECT TO INPUT SATURATION AND L2 DISTURBANCES

This paper deals with the synthesis of dynamic anti-windup compensators for discrete-time linear systems with saturating controls. Considering that the system is subject to the action of L2 bounded disturbances, two approaches for computing the antiwindup compensator in order to guarantee both that the systems trajectories are bounded and a certain L2 performance level is achieved by the regulated outputs are proposed. The first approach considers the synthesis of full order compensators and the second one addresses the synthesis of reduced order compensators.

L2 PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT THROUGH ANTI-WINDUP DESIGN FOR TIME DELAY SYSTEMS IN THE PRESENCE OF SATURATING INPUTS

This paper deals with the synthesis of static anti-windup compensators for linear systems presenting both state time-varying delays and saturating inputs. Considering that the system is subject to the action of L2 bounded disturbances, a method for computing the anti-windup compensator in order to guarantee both that the trajectories of the system are bounded and a certain L2 performance level is achieved by the regulated outputs, is proposed. Based on Lyapunov-Krazovskii functionals, a descriptor approach and the use of a modified sector-based relation, conditions to solve the problem are derived. From these conditions, LMI-based optimization problems are proposed in order to minimize the L2 gain, as well as in order to maximize the bound on the admissible disturbances and/or on the delay.

Proportional assist versus pressure support ventilation in patients with acute respiratory failure: Cardiorespiratory responses to artificially increased ventilatory demand*

To test the hypothesis that in response to increased ventilatory demand, dynamic inspiratory pressure assistance better compensates for increased workload compared with static pressure support ventilation (PSV). Randomized clinical crossover study. General intensive care u nits of a university hospital. Twelve patients with acute respiratory failure. Patients received PSV, proportional assist ventilation (PAV), and PAV+ automatic tube compensation (ATC) in random order while maintaining mean inspiratory airway pressure constant. During each setting, ventilatory demand was increased by adding deadspace without ventilator readjustment. Cardiorespiratory, ventilatory, and work of breathing variables were assessed by routine monitoring plus pneumotachography; airway, esophageal, and abdominal pressure measurements; and nitrogen washout. After deadspace addition, tidal volume and end-expiratory lung volume increased similarly in all ventilatory modalities. Ventilator work, peak inspiratory flow, and maximum airway pressure increased significantly during PAV+ATC when compared with PSV after deadspace addition. However, increase in ventilator work did not result in a smaller increase in patients' work of breathing with elevated ventilatory demand during PAV+ATC (PSV 807 +/- 204 mJ/L, PAV 802 +/- 193 mJ/L, and PAV+ATC 715 +/- 202 mJ/L, p = .11). Increase in patients' work of breathing was mainly caused by a significantly higher resistive workload during PAV and PAV+ATC. In patients with acute respiratory failure, dynamic inspiratory pressure assistance modalities are not superior to PSV with respect to cardiorespiratory function and inspiratory muscles unloading after increasing ventilatory demand. The latter might be explained by higher peak flows resulting in nonlinearly increased resistive workload that was incompletely compensated by PAV+ATC.

A linear programming method for series and shunt compensation of HV transmission lines

The power transfer capability (PTC) of AC transmission lines is increased by using series capacitor and shunt reactor compensation. This paper presents a method to calculate the degree of series capacitor and shunt reactor compensation in order to increase the power transfer capability of overhead transmission lines. This method is based on linear programming which takes into consideration line modelling, series and shunt compensation, voltage and reactive power constraints, and power factor before and after compensation. The proposed method has been applied to the existing 500 kV transmission line interconnected between the High-Dam generation station and Cairo load center in Egypt. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.