Women on Boards of Directors

This research aims to measure the current gender representation in membership of boards of directors,and to study the factors affecting the presence of women on boards.The results of the study will support the decision makers and policy makers at all levels by providing knowledge that contributes to bridging the current gap in participation of women boards.The methodology used in this research is the descriptive analytical approach,which relies on quantitative methods in the process of collecting and analyzing data.This study represents the boards of directors in the three sectors(public,private,and non-profit)in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,The study sample contained 350 targets,where a random sample of 150 people in the public sector,100 people in the private sector,and 100 people in the non-profit sector were selected.The research result found that the majority of the responses believe that the lack of experience and training,and social factors,are the most impact areas of explaining the reasons for the existence of a gap in women’s membership in boards of directors in the three sectors.And the most important reasons for the existence of a gender gap in board membership are:there is no statutory minimum percentage for women’s representation on boards of directors,and scarcity of female competencies in general,and the lack of women occupying leadership positions.

Experimental and numerical study regarding H-steel all-bolted connection steel frame with composite wall boards

H-steel all-bolted connection steel frame structures with heat preservation and decoration composite wall boards were investigated and the seismic performances of three scaled specimens were studied.The failure modes,hysteresis curves,bearing capacity,ductility,energy dissipation capacity,stiffness degradation and strain distribution were discussed.The calculation method of structural theoretical internal force was presented.The results showed that the overall structural seismic performance was better,and the structural ductility met the demands of elastic-plastic inter-story drift angle for seismic design.The H-steel weak-axis connection structure obtained better energy dissipation capacity,and its bearing capacity and stiffness were slightly different from the strong-axis connection.The heat preservation and decoration performance of composite wallboard and the all-bolted connection of the steel frame realized prefabrication during the whole construction period.The plastic hinge of the steel beam can be moved outwards because of the L-angles,which effectively avoids stress concentration in joint areas and expands the plastic hinge range.The errors between the theoretical structural capacity calculated by the plastic analysis method and the test results were within 2.44%.In addition,structural failure mechanisms and bearing capacities were verified by the finite element(FE)analysis,and the effects of the main parameters on the structures were investigated.The FE verification results were the same as in the test.The research results provide theoretical support and technical guidance for the application of thermal insulation and decorative composite wall panels in H-shaped steel all-bolted steel frames.

Effect of Low pH on Forming Process of Desulfurization Gypsum Composite Boards Strengthened by Melamine-formaldehyde Resin

Through exploring the effects of low pH on the composite system of desulfurization gypsum(DG)enhanced by melamine-formaldehyde resin(MF),it is found that the inducing of sulfate-ion,in contrast to chloride and oxalate ions,favors the longitudinal growth of the crystalline form of the hydration product,which was relatively simple and had the highest length to width(L/D)ratio.At the same time,MF can also improve L/D ratio of gypsum hydration products,which favors the formation of hydrated whiskers.Finally,in a composite system composed of hemihydrate gypsum,MF,and glass fibers,when dilute sulfuric acid was used to regulate pH=3-4,the tight binding formed among the components of the composite system compared to pH=5-6.The hydration product of gypsum adheres tightly to glass fiber surface and produces a good cross-linking and binding effect with MF.The flexural strength,compressive strength,elastic modulus,and water absorption of the desulphurized gypsum composite board is 22.7 MPa,39.8 MPa,5608 MPa,and 1.8%,respectively.

Protective benefit of folded linear HDPE board sand fences along the Golmud-Korla Railway,China:Field observation and wind tunnel study

The Milan Gobi area of the Golmud-Korla Railway in northwest China is located in the lower dispersal area of the mountain pass and has strong winds with evident double wind direction characteristics.This study introduced a novel sand fence deployment technique,termed‘folded linear deployment',designed to position the sand fence orthogonally to the two predominant wind directions for optimal protection.This study used wind tunnel and field tests to evaluate the wind and sand flow characteristics,as well as the windproof and sandresistant performance of folded linear HDPE(Highdensity polyethylene)board sand fences.The results suggest that the airflow around the fence creates clear zoning characteristics.The deceleration area on the BSF(backwind side of the sand fence)is much larger than that on the DSF(downwind side of the sand fence).Thus,sand particles are primarily deposited on the BSF.At different wind speeds,the airflow at 2 and 5 h on the DSF is not disturbed.The WSP(wind speed profile)presents a logarithmic distribution.The airflow is disturbed at 1-20 h on the BSF,and the WSP gradually deviates from the logarithmic law.However,as the airflow moves away from the fence,the WSP gradually approaches a logarithmic distribution.Meanwhile,the WPE(windproof efficiency)and SRE(sand-resistant efficiency)of the sand fence exceed 80%.In addition,the results of wind tunnel tests are compared with those of field tests.The overall dispersion is good,and the best dispersion is found at z/H=2.00,indicating good agreement between the two test results.This study provides a scientific basis for the design of sand hazard control measures,similar to the railway project in the Gobi Gale area.

Development and Characterization of Particle Boards Based on Sorghum Husk

This study tackles current environmental challenges by developing innovative and eco-friendly particle boards utilizing sorghum husk, combined with recycled expanded polystyrene (EPS). This dual eco-responsible approach valorizes sorghum husk, often deemed agricultural waste, and repurposes EPS, a plastic waste, thus contributing to CO2 emission reduction and effective waste management. The manufacturing process involves dissolving recycled polystyrene within a solvent to create a binder, which is then mixed with sorghum husk and cold-pressed into composite boards. The study explores the impact of two particle sizes (fine and coarse) and two different concentrations of the recycled EPS binder. Results demonstrate significant variations in the boards’ mechanical properties, displaying a range of Modulus of Rupture (MOR) from 0.84 MPa to 3.85 MPa, and Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) spanning from 658.13 MPa to 1313.25 MPa, influenced by the binder concentration and particle size. These characteristics suggest that the boards can be effectively used in various construction applications, including interior decoration, false ceilings, and potentially for furniture and door manufacturing when combined with appropriate coatings. This study not only exemplifies the valorization of plastic and agricultural wastes but also offers a practical, localized solution to global climate change challenges by promoting sustainable construction materials.

Sandwich structured ultra-strong-heat-shielding aerogel/copper composite insulation board for safe lithium-ion batteries modules

The fire hazard of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs)modules is extremely serious due to their high capacity.Moreover,once a battery catches fire,it can easily result in a fire of the entire LIBs modules.In this work,a sandwich structure composite thermal insulation(STI)board(copper//silica dioxide aerogel//copper)with the advantages of low thermal conductivity(0.031 W m-1K-1),low surface radiation emissivity(0.1)and good thermal convection inhibition effect has been designed.The thermal runaway(TR)occurrence time of adjacent LIBs increases from 1384 s to more than 6 h+due to the protection of STI board.No TR propagation occurs within LIBs modules with protect of a STI board when a battery catches fire.The ultra-strong-heat-shielding mechanism of STI board has been revealed.The TR propagation of LIBs modules has been insulated effectively by STI board through reducing the heat transfer of convection,conduction and radiation.The air flow rate between the heater and LIBs and radiant heat absorbed by LIBs decrease by 63.5%and 35.1%with protection of STI board,respectively.A high temperature difference inside the STI board is also formed.This work provides direction for the designing of safe thermal insulation board for LIBs modules.

Experimental study of polyurea-coated fiber-reinforced cement boards under gas explosions

Five types of polyurea elastomers were synthesized by changing the isocyanate component and the mechanical properties of polyurea materials were measured. Fiber-reinforced cement boards(FRCB)strengthened by polyurea with different formulations were processed, and a series of experiments were carried out on the specimens with gas explosion devices. The results showed that the conventional mechanical properties of different types of polyureas had their own advantages. Based on the gas explosion overpressure criterion, the blast resistances of reinforced plates were quantitatively evaluated,and the best polyurea was selected to guide the formulation design. The three typical failure modes of polyurea-reinforced FRCBs were flexural, shear, and flexural-shear failure. Dynamic thermodynamics and shock wave spectral analysis revealed that the polyurea did not undergo a glass transition in the gas explosion tests but retained its elastic properties, allowing it to effectively wrap the fragments formed by the brittle substrates.

Editorial board publication strategy and acceptance rates in Turkish national journals

Purpose: This study takes advantage of newly released journal metrics to investigate whether local journals with more qualified boards have lower acceptance rates, based on data from 219 Turkish national journals and 2,367 editorial board members.Design/methodology/approach: This study argues that journal editors can signal their scholarly quality by publishing in reputable journals. Conversely, editors publishing inside articles in affiliated national journals would send negative signals. The research predicts that high(low) quality editorial boards will conduct more(less) selective evaluation and their journals will have lower(higher) acceptance rates. Based on the publication strategy of editors, four measures of board quality are defined: Number of board inside publications per editor(INSIDER), number of board Social Sciences Citation Index publications per editor(SSCI), inside-to-SSCI article ratio(ISRA), and board citation per editor(CITATION). Predictions are tested by correlation and regression analysis.Findings: Low-quality board proxies(INSIDER, ISRA) are positively, and high-quality board proxies(SSCI, CITATION) are negatively associated with acceptance rates. Further, we find that receiving a larger number of submissions, greater women representation on boards, and Web of Science and Scopus(WOSS) coverage are associated with lower acceptance rates. Acceptance rates for journals range from 12% to 91%, with an average of 54% and a median of 53%. Law journals have significantly higher average acceptance rate(68%) than other journals, while WOSS journals have the lowest(43%). Findings indicate some of the highest acceptance rates in Social Sciences literature, including competitive Business and Economics journals that traditionally have low acceptance rates. Limitations: Research relies on local context to define publication strategy of editors. Findings may not be generalizable to mainstream journals and core science countries where emphasis on research quality is stronger and editorial selection is based on scientific merit.Practical implications: Results offer useful insights into editorial management of national journals and allow us to make sense of local editorial practices. The importance of scientific merit for selection to national journal editorial boards is particularly highlighted for sound editorial evaluation of submitted manuscripts.Originality/value: This is the first attempt to document a significant relation between acceptance rates and editorial board publication behavior.

Internet of Things Supported Airport Boarding System and Evaluation with Fuzzy

The existing systems sustained with the investments made require more automation and digital transformation with the continuous advancement of tech-nology.The aviation industry is a sector that is open to more automation and digi-tal transformation,mainly because of the intense competition and the analysis of a large variety of data.The long duration of operations in current airline processes and some processflows cause customer dissatisfaction and cost increase.In this study,the boarding process,which is one of the operational processes of airline transportation and is open to improvement,was discussed.The classical boarding process has been redesigned using Internet of Things technology a model called Boarding 4.0 was created.With Boarding 4.0,it is aimed to design a process where passengers can take their time before boarding more efficiently.In the study,the sub-processes of the Boarding 4.0 model,other processes that the sub-processes interact with,their activities,and data exchange passenger move-ments during the activities are explained in detail.Compared to the classical boarding process and Boarding 4.0 with the fuzzy ahp technique,it has been shown that boarding 4.0 is more advantageous and passenger movement times can be reduced during boarding.As a result of the evaluation made with the fuzzy ahp,it was determined that boarding 4.0 is more advantageous than the classical boarding process.In addition,when the total time of the sub-activities in the board-ing process is calculated,boarding activities for a passenger take 50 min with the classic boarding process and 20 min with Boarding 4.0.Thus,when Boarding 4.0 is used,the passenger gains 30 min.Furthermore,when the calculation is made concerning the airport’s current capacity,two passengers are hosted with the clas-sical boarding process,whilefive passengers are hosted with Boarding 4.0.This acquisition is significant for airports in terms of efficient use of resources.

Detection Algorithm of Surface Defect Word on Printed Circuit Board

For Printed Circuit Board(PCB)surface defect detection,traditional detection methods mostly focus on template matching-based reference method and manual detections,which have the disadvantages of low defect detection efficiency,large errors in defect identification and localization,and low versatility of detectionmethods.In order to furthermeet the requirements of high detection accuracy,real-time and interactivity required by the PCB industry in actual production life.In the current work,we improve the Youonly-look-once(YOLOv4)defect detection method to train and detect six types of PCB small target defects.Firstly,the original Cross Stage Partial Darknet53(CSPDarknet53)backbone network is preserved for PCB defect feature information extraction,and secondly,the original multi-layer cascade fusion method is changed to a single-layer feature layer structure to greatly avoid the problem of uneven distribution of priori anchor boxes size in PCB defect detection process.Then,the K-means++clustering method is used to accurately cluster the anchor boxes to obtain the required size requirements for the defect detection,which further improves the recognition and localization of small PCB defects.Finally,the improved YOLOv4 defect detection model is compared and analyzed on PCB dataset with multi-class algorithms.The experimental results show that the average detection accuracy value of the improved defect detection model reaches 99.34%,which has better detection capability,lower leakage rate and false detection rate for PCB defects in comparison with similar defect detection algorithms.

Modeling of Micropores Drilling Force for Printed Circuit Board Micro-holes Based on Energy Method

The quality of printed circuit board(PCB)micro-hole processing directly determines the stability of the inner and outer circuit connections.Micro-hole drilling technology is a typical method for PCB micro-hole processing.The problem of optimal control of its drilling force is one of the main factors affecting the quality of micro-hole machining.To address this problem,the thrust forces and torques in PCB drilling were first modeled and analyzed,and the corresponding prediction models were established.The drilling force analysis was carried out through the micro-hole drilling experiment,the specific cutting energy under different feed rates was calculated,the influence of the size effect was clarified,and the accuracy of the prediction model was verified.The result shows that during the drilling of glass fiber cloth,changes in the material removal mechanism are induced as the feed per revolution is varied.When the feed per revolution is less than the tool edge radius,the glass fiber is not cut by the main cutting edge,but is crushed and broken.When the feed per revolution is greater than the radius of the tool edge,the glass fiber is cut by the main cutting edge.At the same time,the established analytical model can accurately reflect the influence of the size effect on the drilling torque in PCB micro-hole drilling,and the error is within 10%.This method has certain practical application value in controlling PCB micro hole processing quality.

Cardboard Eco-Bundle as an Alternative for Collation Shrink Film

Due to increasing pressure on brand owners and distributors to avoid single use plastics such as plastic bundle packaging, a new bundle packaging that consists of corrugated board only, has been designed. Obviously this new packaging should equally enable transportability. This study compares the transportability of bundles using corrugated board on the one hand and bundles using plastic collation shrink film on the other. In particular, the resistance to varying horizontal inertial forces is compared experimentally. All tested bundle packagings of corrugated board perform well above expectations and significantly better than shrink film packaging. All additional requirements regarding marketing, durability, consumer convenience, …are met.

基于EdgeBoard的AI视觉多功能智能车的设计与实现

以百度飞桨PaddlePaddle作为运算平台,采用卷积神经网络算法构建数据模型,对智能车赛道数据进行了采集和处理,并基于百度深度学习开源平台AI Studio进行模型训练,完成对车道数据的检测.本系统实现了将赛道检测的人工智能技术与传统运用传感器进行侧面标识物的检测相结合,最终完成基于百度EdgeBoard计算板和Wobot控制器的视觉多功能智能车的设计与实现.

Diversity and Board Effectiveness： A Case of India

A number of research studies have dealt with the relationship between diversity and effectiveness of corporate boards. The present paper makes an attempt to provide an international perspective on diversity and effectiveness of corporate boards and examines such relationship in detail in the case of India. The paper presents the theory relating to diversity and board effectiveness with particular reference to women on boards. The position of diversity as related to the boards of National Stock Exchange （NSE） listed 511 companies and the 245 state-owned enterprises （SOEs） by the Government of India （GoI） is reflected in the paper. It then examines gender diversity specifically in the case of India and Singapore. Drawing from the evidence of diversity in the case of global companies, it offers the rationale for making boards global in composition and character. The paper highlights an interestiiag issue： whether the boards should have younger or veteran members？ This follows a discussion on diversity of boards in terms of skills, age, and personalities. Finally, the paper makes suggestions for balance boards to enhance their effectiveness and brings out lessons for the corporate organizations to promote diversity of their boards.

Board Members Oversight System- A Polish Example

The goal of the study was the development of a system to monitor the members of supervisory and management boards. The system currently covers 8,454 joint stock companies registered in Poland. The main purpose of the system is to monitor every change in the composition of every board of every joint stock company, from March 2001 up to the present, and it is updated every month. This system, however, also enables us to confirm some of the theories from the field of corporate governance. A generation change has been identified in the boards of the joint stock companies which were examined. Women constitute a large, and continuously increasing, section of the board members. The number of family companies, and of family involvement in boards, is still increasing. Board members of financial institutions （and not just of banks） possess significantly more directorates than board members of non-financial institutions. The number of interlocking directorates is positively linked to the macroeconomic development indicator of the total investment as percentage of GDP for Poland.

Evaluating Board Roles Performance in Adopting Corporate Social Responsibility （CSR） Practices

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the board roles that make a board effective in the performance of adopting corporate social responsibility （CSR） practices. This paper examines directors＇ perceptions of the three main roles： monitoring, service, and strategic, which provide tools for critically understanding how the board adds the value in moving the organization towards more CSR practices. The stakeholder theory is used to distinguish the influence of the three main roles on the adoption of CSR practices. Primary data were collected for this research by conducting structured questionnaires with a sample of 461 directors from Saudi listed companies for study purpose. The results show that an appropriate mix of directors＇ roles and the development of sound board monitoring and service roles are the most crucial determinants of CSR adoption in Saudi listed companies. As the extant corporate governance and CSR literatures do not provide a clear perspective with contradictory outcomes about board roles in influencing CSR practices, the originality of this research is its contribution by evaluating the directors＇ perceptions of developing a direct relationship between the board roles and the adoption of CSR practices. Furthermore, the use of the stakeholder theory provides additional insights into identifying the most influential board role factors enhancing stakeholders＇ expectations of CSR practices.

基于ZedBoard的SCA架构的设计与实现

Zed Board是Xilinx公司首款融合了ARM Cortex A9双核和7系列FPGA的全可编程片上系统,兼具ARM和FPGA两者的优势,是小型化SCA实现的最佳嵌入式平台之一。本文介绍了Zed Board平台的硬件结构,并针对SCA架构在专用硬件平台上无法实现的问题,通过分析研究MHAL硬件抽象层技术和OCP接口规范,设计了符合ZedBoard平台硬件环境的MHAL硬件抽象接口和FPGA波形组件容器,有效地解决了SCA架构在Zed Board平台上的实现问题,为在Zed Board上实现以SCA架构为核心的系统开发打下了基础。

Influence of Board Mechanisms on Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures in Nigeria: A Study of Oil and Gas Sector of the Economy

The study examined the influence of board mechanisms on corporate social responsibility disclosure among oil and gas quoted companies in Nigeria for ten(10)years period(2012-2021).Board mechanisms variables of board independence,board size as well as board gender diversity were analyzed to determine their influence on corporate social responsibility disclosures.Data obtained from the financial statement of various sampled companies were suitably analyzed with the help of descriptive statistics,correlation as well as regression analysis by making use of E-view(9.0)econometric packages.Regression result reveals that board independence has significant and negative influence on corporate social responsibility disclosures while board size and board gender diversity have insignificant and negative influence on corporate social responsibility disclosures of various companies.The study therefore arrived at a conclusion that board independence on the board brings about improvement on corporate social responsibility disclosure among quoted oil and gas companies in Nigeria.

宫颈癌IMRT治疗中俯卧位Belly-board不同位置对靶区动度和剂量分布的影响

目的探讨宫颈癌俯卧位IMRT时Belly-board不同位置对靶区动度和剂量分布的影响。方法分别测量10例宫颈癌患者在Belly-board上两种体位(PⅠ:耻骨联合上缘置于Belly-board孔下缘;PⅡ:骶髂关节的下缘置于Belly-board孔下缘)下靶区移动的范围及靶区剂量分布,比较两者的关系。结果靶区在腹背方向存在一定的移动(1～1.5cm),有统计学意义(P<0.05),而在水平及头脚方向的移动无统计学意义(P>0.05);但靶区移动时,靶区本身在各剂量区的受照体积差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论 Belly-board的位置不同会造成靶区的空间位置改变,但靶区移动对靶区剂量分布无影响。

Linux2.6.16在嵌入式模块X-Board(GP8)上的移植

Linux2.6.16在嵌入式模块X-Board(GP8)上的移植,采用的交叉编译环境为VMWareWorkstation5.0+RedHat9.0。步骤包括交叉编译环境的搭建,内核定制,Ramdisk文件系统的定制,RedBoot操作等。其根文件的制作则通过建立相关目录、添加/dev目录下的设备文件、busybox制作等实现。