Property as an economic concept: Reconciling legal and economic conceptions of property rights in a Coasean framework

Adopting a simplistic view of Coase (1960), most economic analyses of property rightsdisregard both the key advantage that legal property rights (that is, in rem rights) provide torightholders in terms of enhanced enforcement, and the difficulties they pose to acquirers interms of information asymmetry about legal title. Consequently, these analyses tend to overstatethe role of "private ordering" and disregard the two key elements of property law: first, theessential conflict between property (that is, in rem) enforcement and transaction costs; and,second, the institutional solutions created to overcome it, mainly contractual registries capable ofmaking truly impersonal (that is, asset-based) trade viable when previous relevant transactionson the same assets are not verifiable by judges. This paper fills this gap by reinterpreting bothelements within the Coasean framework and thus redrawing the institutional foundations of bothproperty and corporate contracting.

Education, disease prevalence and health service utilization in the Swiss National Health Survey "SOMIPOPS".

The relation among education, disease prevalence, and frequency of health service utilization was analyzed using data from the Swiss National Health Survey SOMIPOPS, conducted in 1981-1983 on a randomly selected sample of 4,255 individuals, representative of the entire Swiss population. The prevalence of several important cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, osteoarticular, and psychiatric disorders was higher among less educated individuals; only allergic conditions were directly associated with indicators of social class. More educated individuals reported lower frequencies of general practitioner visits, but higher frequencies of specialized consultations. These findings confirm that education is an important determinant not only of mortality but also of morbidity and health-care utilization and require careful consideration in terms of the planning and evaluation of health services.

The quasi-judicial role of large retailers: An efficiency hypothesis of their relation with suppliers

The paper explores an efficiency hypothesis regarding the contractual process between large retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Carrefour, and their suppliers. The empirical evidence presented supports the idea that large retailers play a quasi-judicial role, acting as "courts of first instance" in their relationships with suppliers. In this role, large retailers adjust the terms of trade to on-going changes and sanction performance failures, sometimes delaying payments. A potential abuse of their position is limited by the need for re-contracting and preserving their reputations. Suppliers renew their confidence in their retailers on a yearly basis, through writing new contracts. This renovation contradicts the alternative hypothesis that suppliers are expropriated by large retailers as a consequence of specific investments.

Service Quality Analysis in the Five Stars Resort Hotels of Cape Verde

The objective of this study was the identification of the attributes and dimensions of service quality affecting the service performance of the five stars resort hotels located in the Cape Verde Islands. The reason boosting the initiative to do this research was the paramount role of the resort hotels in the development of the travel and tourism sector in Cape Verde, and the impact that today this sector has had in the economy of that country. The research opens with a literature review on the service quality theory in the hotel industry, starting from the middle of the 1980s with the classic model of service quality and SERVQUAL instrument to the analysis of recent models of service quality measurement in the hotel industry, as it is an example the scale of items developed in 2003 in the Lodging Quality Index (LQI). Furthermore, the study elaborates an analysis on the importance of the travel and tourism activities in the Cape Verde Islands, and it evidences the enormous importance of those activities in the performance of the Cape Verdean hotel industry. In sequence the study analyzes in details the hotel industry of Cape Verde and it identifies the market size of the five stars resort hotels and their current operators in that market. Moreover, the research develops with an online questionnaire elaborated and sent through the platforms of travel websites and communities to the guests whom have experienced the service of the five stars resort hotels located in the Cape Verde Islands. The scope of the questionnaire was to assess the attributes and dimensions of service quality in the five stars resort hotels of Cape Verde. The results of the questionnaire were in sequence analyzed through descriptive and applied statistics, using Microsoft Excel and the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Content validity analysis, factor analysis, and reliability analysis of the factors were made to purify an initial scale of 47 items of service quality. An instrument with three dimensions covering twenty four attributes of service quality assessment in the five stars resort hotels of Cape Verde was finally created. The three dimensions found were: staff competence; food and entertainment; and physical facilities. This study on the service in the five stars resort hotels of Cape Verde ends with brief comments on the status of service quality according to the identified dimensions and their attributes. In the conclusion, the study summarizes the whole work and gives some directions for future research.

The Impact of Digitization on the Management of Administrative Procedures : The Case of Building Permits

Information and Communication Technologies provide public administrations new ways to meet their users' needs. At the same time, e-Government practices support the public sector in improving the quality of service provision and of its internal operations. In this paper we discuss the impacts of digitization on the management of administrative procedures. The theoretical framework and the research model that we will use in this study help us tackle the question of how digitization transforms administrative procedures as, for example, in terms of time and roles. The multiplicity of institutions involved in issuing building permits led us to consider this administrative procedure as a very interesting case study. An online survey was first addressed to Swiss civil servants to explore the field, and here we present some of its results. We are currently undertaking an in-depth case study of the building permit procedures in three Swiss Cantons, which we will also present in this paper. We will conclude with a discussion and the future steps of this project.

First-principles periodic calculation of four-body spin terms in high-Tc cuprate superconductors

A general mapping between the energy of pertinent magnetic solutions and the diagonal terms of the spin Hamiltonian in a local representation provides the first general framework to extract accurate values for the many body terms of extended spin Hamiltonians from periodic first-principle calculations. Estimates of these terms for La2CuO4, the paradigm of high-Tc superconductor parent compounds, and for the SrCu2O3 ladder compound are reported. For La2CuO4, present results support experimental evidence by Toader et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 197202 (2005)]. For SrCu2O3 even larger four-body spin amplitudes are found together with Jl/Jr=1 and non-negligible ferromagnetic interladder exchange.

First-principles periodic calculation of four-body spin terms in high-Tc Cuprate superconductors

A general mapping between the energy of pertinent magnetic solutions and the diagonal terms of the spin Hamiltonian in a local representation provides the first general framework to extract accurate values for the many body terms of extended spin Hamiltonians from periodic first-principle calculations. Estimates of these terms for La2CuO4, the paradigm of high-Tc superconductor parent compounds, and for the SrCu2O3 ladder compound are reported. For La2CuO4, present results support experimental evidence by Toader et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 197202 (2005)]. For SrCu2O3 even larger four-body spin amplitudes are found together with Jl/Jr=1 and non-negligible ferromagnetic interladder exchange.

Inclusion of soil erosion impacts in life cycle assessment on a global scale: application to energy crops in Spain

Purpose: Despite the fundamental role of ecosystem goods and services in sustaining human activities, there is no harmonized and internationally agreed method for including them in life cycle assessment (LCA). The main goal of this study was to develop a globally applicable and spatially resolved method for assessing land-use impacts on the erosion regulation ecosystem service.Methods: Soil erosion depends much on location. Thus, unlike conventional LCA, the endpoint method was regionalized at the grid-cell level (5 arc-minutes, approximately 10×10 km2) to reflect the spatial conditions of the site. Spatially explicit characterization factors were not further aggregated at broader spatial scales. Results and discussion: Life cycle inventory data of topsoil and topsoil organic carbon (SOC) losses were interpreted at the endpoint level in terms of the ultimate damage to soil resources and ecosystem quality. Human health damages were excluded from the assessment. The method was tested on a case study of five three-year agricultural rotations, two of them with energy crops, grown in several locations in Spain. A large variation in soil and SOC losses was recorded in the inventory step, depending on climatic and edaphic conditions. The importance of using a spatially explicit model and characterization factors is shown in the case study.Conclusions and outlook: The regionalized assessment takes into account the differences in soil erosion-related environmental impacts caused by the great variability of soils. Taking this regionalized framework as the starting point, further research should focus on testing the applicability of the method trough the complete life cycle of a product and on determining an appropriate spatial scale at which to aggregate characterization factors, in order to deal with data gaps on location of processes, especially in the background system. Additional research should also focus on improving reliability of the method by quantifying and, insofar as it is possible, reducing uncertainty.

The Impact of Cooperation on R&D, Innovation andProductivity: an Analysis of Spanish Manufacturing and Services Firms

This paper investigates relationships between cooperation, R&D, innovation and productivity in Spanish firms. It uses a large sample of firm-level micro-data and applies an extended structural model that aims to explain the effects of cooperation on R&D investment, of R&D investment on output innovation, and of innovation on firms’ productivity levels. It also analyses the determinants of R&D cooperation. Firms’ technology level is taken into account in order to analyse the differences between high-tech and low-tech firms, both in the industrial and service sectors. The database used was the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the period 2004-2010. Empirical results show that firms which cooperate in innovative activities are more likely to invest in R&D in subsequent years. As expected, R&D investment has a positive impact on the probability of generating an innovation, in terms of both product and process, for manufacturing firms. Finally, innovation output has a positive impact on firms’ productivity, being greater in process innovations.

The Impact of Cooperation on R&D, Innovation and Productivity: an Analysis of Spanish Manufacturing and Services Firms

This paper investigates relationships between cooperation, R&D, innovation and productivity in Spanish firms. It uses a large sample of firm-level micro-data and applies an extended structural model that aims to explain the effects of cooperation on R&D investment, of R&D investment on output innovation, and of innovation on firms’ productivity levels. It also analyses the determinants of R&D cooperation. Firms’ technology level is taken into account in order to analyse the differences between high-tech and low-tech firms, both in the industrial and service sectors. The database used was the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the period 2004-2010. Empirical results show that firms which cooperate in innovative activities are more likely to invest in R&D in subsequent years. As expected, R&D investment has a positive impact on the probability of generating an innovation, in terms of both product and process, for manufacturing firms. Finally, innovation output has a positive impact on firms’ productivity, being greater in process innovations. Keywords: innovation sources; productivity; R&D Cooperation

A Comparative Study: Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals under the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act & An Overview of Assistance Animal Laws of Select States, April 18, 2010

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability and govern the use of service or emotional support animals in places where pets may not be permitted. However, courts have been struggling with how to define and treat animals that qualify for protection under each law. This has created confusion as to what rights and duties are owed disabled persons and the animals that live with or accompany them. This essay attempts to clarify these two federal laws with regard to service or emotional support animals and the differing parties‘ rights and interests. It also includes an overview of select state laws that govern assistance animals of all types and our recommendations for enhancing the Iowa Civil Rights Act.

The slow transformation of Swiss federal administrative elites

This article sets out to study the profile of Swiss administrative elites at federal level by showing how their profile has evolved in the light of what has come to be known as the wave of New Public Management (NPM), which has benefited from a very fertile ground in Switzerland. These elites correspond to a specific institutional order, in relation to specific organizational structures and workings, and have specific characteristics in terms of career paths and academic background. However, the administrative reforms that have been rolled out since the 1980s have transformed the institutional order within which executives of the federal administration evolve. This article analyses the extent to which these transformations have had an impact on the characteristics of these elites, through indicators such as academic capital, social capital, and career path within and outside the administration. The results show a slow but significant transformation in the profiles of these elites towards an increasing managerialization, reflecting that of the context in which they evolve.Points for practitioners The relationship between politics and the administration is naturally shaped by individuals but is closely dependent on the profiles of the players. They are currently undergoing a transformation in the wake of administrative reforms, and also of the changing profiles of both the political and administrative players. Gaining an insight into the slow transformation of the profiles of administrative elites therefore sheds light on the political-administrative nexus. The gradual managerialization of the administrative elite highlighted in this article also allows for a better understanding of which professional experiences, qualifications and skills are valued today within the senior civil service in Switzerland.

How to operate a university institute as a radiological emergency service?

The Institute of Radiation Physics (IRA) is attached to the Department of Medical Radiology at the Vaud University Hospital Center (CHUV) in Lausanne. The Institute's main tasks are strongly linked to the medical activities of the Department: radiotherapy, radiodiagnostics, interventional radiology and nuclear medicine. The Institute also works in the fields of operational radiation protection, radiation metrology and radioecology. In the case of an accident involving radioactive materials, the emergency services are able to call on the assistance of radiation protection specialists. In order to avoid having to create and maintain a specific structure, both burdensome and rarely needed, Switzerland decided to unite all existing emergency services for such events. Thus, the IRA was invited to participate in this network. The challenge is therefore to integrate a university structure, used to academic collaborations and the scientific approach, to an interventional organization accustomed to strict policies, a military-style command structure and "drilled" procedures. The IRA's solution entails mobilizing existing resources and the expertise developed through professional experience. The main asset of this solution is that it involves the participation of committed collaborators who remain in a familiar environment, and are able to use proven materials and mastered procedures, even if the atmosphere of an accident situation differs greatly from regular laboratory routines. However, this solution requires both a commitment to education and training in emergency situations, and a commitment in terms of discipline by each collaborator in order to be integrated into a response plan supervised by an operational command center.

Benign fibro-osseous lesions of the maxillas: analysis of 11 cases

Introduction: A study is made of the principal characteristics of the oral lesions biopsied in our Service of Oral Surgery and histologically diagnosed as corresponding to fibro-osseous lesions of the maxillas. Patients and methods: A retrospective review was made of all the biopsies made in a Service of Oral Surgery between 1996 and 2003. The reason for consultation was analyzed, along with patient age, sex, clinical and radiological characteristics, tentative diagnosis, histological diagnosis and treatment provided. Results: A total of 1238 biopsies were performed during the study period. Of these, only 11 corresponded to benign fibro-osseous lesions (7 women and 4 men). The mean patient age was 44 years (range 19-72 years). The most frequent location was the mandible (8 of the cases). In 7 patients the lesions constituted casual radiological findings; 4 presented bulging of the vestibular cortical bone, though only one of them reported pain. The histological diagnoses comprised 7 cemento-ossifying fibromas and 4 fibrous dysplasias. In 9 cases surgical resection was carried out, while in one case an incisional biopsy was performed, and in the remaining case curettage was decided. Discussion: These lesions are more frequent in women than in men, and the age at presentation is variable. In terms of lesion location, fibrous dysplasia is more common in the upper maxilla, while cemento-ossifying fibroma is more frequently found in the mandible. The diagnosis of such lesions is established upon contrasting the data obtained from the anamnesis, physical examination, the radiological characteristics, the intraoperative findings and the histological study, since both disorders have similar clinical and histological features- despite the fact that they constitute distinct disease conditions.

The Role of Logistics as a Competitiveness Factor when Entering New Markets

Tämän diplomityön tarkoituksena on löytää halvin tapa kohdeyrityksen tuotteiden saamiseksi määritellyille kohdemarkkinoille. Logistiset kustannukset ovat erityisen tärkeässä asemassa esimerkkitoimialalla, ja käytettävissä olevien logististen ratkaisujen kirjo tekee tehtävästä erityisen haastavan. Yrityksen ja teollisuudenalan erityispiirteiden esittelyn jälkeen valitaan sopiva tapa päästä markkinoille, minkä lisäksi pohditaan erilaisia kilpailustrategioita yrityksen aikaisempien kokemusten ja teoreettisen käsittelyn pohjalta. Tämä pohdinta on erilaisten analyysimenetelmien esittelyn lisäksi työn empiirisen osan taustalla. Logistiikkaympäristön ymmärtäminen ja sen tarjoamien mahdollisuuksien tunnistaminen ovat tärkeimmällä sijalla koko tutkimuksen ajan. Työssä tarkastellaan myös vientilogistiikan ja kohdemarkkinoiden erityispiirteitä, joita sovelletaan harkitsemisenarvoisiin kuljetustapoihin. Mahdollisten logististen ratkaisujen kustannusrakenteen ja kilpailukyvyn selvittämiseksi päätöksenteon tueksi luodaan yksilölliset vuokaaviot yrityksen omien kokemusten ja eri logistiikkapalvelujen tarjoajien lausuntojen perusteella. Näin voidaan edelleen tunnistaa mielekkäimmät logistiset ketjut ja arvioida niiden kustannustehokkuutta sekä suorien logististen että laatukustannusten suhteen. Lisäksi esimerkkien avulla tarkastellaan mahdollisuuksia benchmarkkaukseen. Työn lopuksi suositellaan johtopäätösten pohjalta tulevia toimenpiteitä, jotta myös jatkossa saataisiin aikaan vastaavaa pohdintaa ja toimintaa.