Image Resilience after Multiple Crises : The Case of Switzerland in the United States

In der heutigen Welt sind die Reputation und das Image eines Landes als wichtige Faktoren für den wirtschaftlichen und politischen Erfolg angesehen. Jedoch ist die Pflege der Marke eines Landes komplex und führt zu zwei Positionen, die sich potentiell widersprechen: Einerseits kann ein positives Erscheinungsbild eines Landes durch aktive Massnahmen gefördert werden. Andererseits ist es schwierig, das Bild eines Landes abzugrenzen und es ist mit Klischees behaftet. Dieser Beitrag analysiert die Auswirkungen von zwei grösseren Krisen auf das Image der Schweiz in den Vereinigten Staaten: die Krise um die nachrichtenlosen Vermögen aus der Zeit des 2. Weltkriegs im Jahr 2000 sowie die Krise um die UBS und das Bankgeheimnis im Jahr 2009. Die Studie zeigt, dass das Erscheinungsbild der Schweiz unberührt blieb, obwohl ein beachtlicher Teil der Bevölkerung und der Meinungsführer von beiden Krisen wusste. Dies stützt die Hypothese, dass das Image eines Landes eine hohe Beständigkeit aufweist. In today's world, country's reputation and image have become key issues, widely believed to be success factors both economically and politically. Nevertheless, managing a country's brand is complex and leads to two positions that are potentially contradictory: On the one hand, a country's image can be influenced either by promotional activities. On the other hand, a country's image is a construct that is very difficult to delimit and is highly stereotyped. This contribution study the impact of two major crises on the image of Switzerland in the United States: the unclaimed wartime deposits crisis in 2000 and the UBS and banking secrecy crisis in 2009. It shows that despite the fact that a substantial proportion of the public and of opinion leaders was aware of both crises, the image of Switzerland was unaffected, which tends to support the hypothesis of strong stability of a country's image.

An Empirical Investigation of Defense Interpretation Depth, Defensive Functioning, and Alliance Strength in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy.

The present study examined the relationship between depth of defense interpretations by therapists, and patient defensive functioning, on the therapeutic alliance in a sample of 36 patients undergoing short-term dynamic psychotherapy. Defense interpretation depth was defined as the degree to which therapist interpretations contained information regarding the motivation for patient defenses and historical origins of the defensive processes (Greensen, 1967). Mean depth of interpretation was compared between sessions that were identified beforehand as either high-alliance or low-alliance sessions using the Helping Alliance Questionnaire (HAq-II: Luborsky et al., 1996). Results indicated that defensive functioning was correlated to defense interpretation depth in low-alliance sessions. Moreover, mean depth of interpretation was also higher in low-alliance sessions, pointing to the possible "destabilizing" effects that these interpretations may have on both defensive functioning and the therapeutic alliance. These results are discussed within the context of previous studies of therapeutic technique in dynamic psychotherapy.

Chest CT at a dose below 0.3 mSv : impact of iterative reconstruction on image quality and lung analysis

Le nombre d'examens tomodensitométriques (Computed Tomography, CT) effectués chaque année étant en constante augmentation, différentes techniques d'optimisation, dont les algorithmes de reconstruction itérative permettant de réduire le bruit tout en maintenant la résolution spatiale, ont étés développées afin de réduire les doses délivrées. Le but de cette étude était d'évaluer l'impact des algorithmes de reconstruction itérative sur la qualité image à des doses effectives inférieures à 0.3 mSv, comparables à celle d'une radiographie thoracique. Vingt CT thoraciques effectués à cette dose effective ont été reconstruits en variant trois paramètres: l'algorithme de reconstruction, rétroprojection filtrée versus reconstruction itérative iDose4; la matrice, 5122 versus 7682; et le filtre de résolution en densité (mou) versus spatiale (dur). Ainsi, 8 séries ont été reconstruites pour chacun des 20 CT thoraciques. La qualité d'image de ces 8 séries a d'abord été évaluée qualitativement par deux radiologues expérimentés en aveugle en se basant sur la netteté des parois bronchiques et de l'interface entre le parenchyme pulmonaire et les vaisseaux, puis quantitativement en utilisant une formule de merit, fréquemment utilisée dans le développement de nouveaux algorithmes et filtres de reconstruction. La performance diagnostique de la meilleure série acquise à une dose effective inférieure à 0.3 mSv a été comparée à celle d'un CT de référence effectué à doses standards en relevant les anomalies du parenchyme pulmonaire. Les résultats montrent que la meilleure qualité d'image, tant qualitativement que quantitativement a été obtenue en utilisant iDose4, la matrice 5122 et le filtre mou, avec une concordance parfaite entre les classements quantitatif et qualitatif des 8 séries. D'autre part, la détection des nodules pulmonaires de plus de 4mm étaient similaire sur la meilleure série acquise à une dose effective inférieure à 0.3 mSv et le CT de référence. En conclusion, les CT thoraciques effectués à une dose effective inférieure à 0.3 mSv reconstruits avec iDose4, la matrice 5122 et le filtre mou peuvent être utilisés avec confiance pour diagnostiquer les nodules pulmonaires de plus de 4mm.

Image quality in CT: From physical measurements to model observers.

Evaluation of image quality (IQ) in Computed Tomography (CT) is important to ensure that diagnostic questions are correctly answered, whilst keeping radiation dose to the patient as low as is reasonably possible. The assessment of individual aspects of IQ is already a key component of routine quality control of medical x-ray devices. These values together with standard dose indicators can be used to give rise to 'figures of merit' (FOM) to characterise the dose efficiency of the CT scanners operating in certain modes. The demand for clinically relevant IQ characterisation has naturally increased with the development of CT technology (detectors efficiency, image reconstruction and processing), resulting in the adaptation and evolution of assessment methods. The purpose of this review is to present the spectrum of various methods that have been used to characterise image quality in CT: from objective measurements of physical parameters to clinically task-based approaches (i.e. model observer (MO) approach) including pure human observer approach. When combined together with a dose indicator, a generalised dose efficiency index can be explored in a framework of system and patient dose optimisation. We will focus on the IQ methodologies that are required for dealing with standard reconstruction, but also for iterative reconstruction algorithms. With this concept the previously used FOM will be presented with a proposal to update them in order to make them relevant and up to date with technological progress. The MO that objectively assesses IQ for clinically relevant tasks represents the most promising method in terms of radiologist sensitivity performance and therefore of most relevance in the clinical environment.

Optimization of Radiation Dose and Image Quality in Musculoskeletal CT: Emphasis on Iterative Reconstruction Techniques (Part 1).

Computed tomography (CT) is a modality of choice for the study of the musculoskeletal system for various indications including the study of bone, calcifications, internal derangements of joints (with CT arthrography), as well as periprosthetic complications. However, CT remains intrinsically limited by the fact that it exposes patients to ionizing radiation. Scanning protocols need to be optimized to achieve diagnostic image quality at the lowest radiation dose possible. In this optimization process, the radiologist needs to be familiar with the parameters used to quantify radiation dose and image quality. CT imaging of the musculoskeletal system has certain specificities including the focus on high-contrast objects (i.e., in CT of bone or CT arthrography). These characteristics need to be taken into account when defining a strategy to optimize dose and when choosing the best combination of scanning parameters. In the first part of this review, we present the parameters used for the evaluation and quantification of radiation dose and image quality. In the second part, we discuss different strategies to optimize radiation dose and image quality at CT, with a focus on the musculoskeletal system and the use of novel iterative reconstruction techniques.