Observation and Quantum Objectivity

The paradox of Wigner's friend challenges the objectivity of description in quantum theory. A pragmatist interpretation can meet this challenge by judicious appeal to decoherence. On this interpretation, quantum theory provides situated agents with resources for predicting and explaining what happens in the physical world---not conscious observations of it. Even in Wigner's friend scenarios, differently situated agents agree on the objective content of statements about the values of physical magnitudes. In more realistic circumstances quantum Darwinism also permits differently situated agents equal observational access to evaluate their truth. In this view, quantum theory has nothing to say about consciousness or conscious experiences of observers. But it does prompt us to reexamine the significance even of everyday claims about the physical world

Pricing transport networks with fixed residential location

We consider a congestible static traffic network which is used by different households and analyse the conditions for optimal congestion taxes on network links, when not all links in the network can be taxed (partial network pricing). This is done under two assumptions about the toll revenues. First, lump sum transfers are assumed to be available. It is shown that social welfare maximisation leads to unequal treatment of equal households, because of differences in transport costs, and that constraints on network pricing imply complex deviations from marginal social cost pricing, because of network interactions. The second assumption is that the congestion tax revenue is redistributed to households according to predetermined shares. In that case, the optimal link taxes consist of a Pigouvian component, a Ramsey-Mirrlees component and a network interaction component. The taxes will deviate from marginal external congestion costs, even in the absence of network pricing constraints. This result is qualitatively different from the partial equilibrium analysis. Stylised examples of two networks are used to illustrate (a) the impact of unequal treatment of equals and of tax redistribution rules on optimal link taxes and on their effectiveness in terms of social welfare, and (b) the effect of network pricing constraints. The results suggest that (1) the effectiveness of congestion taxes is strongly reduced when not all links in the network can be taxed, (2) assignment inefficiencies are of less importance than excess demand levels when no taxes are present, and (3) that optimal parking charges may outperform partial pricing schemes when the assignment inefficiencies are small.congestion; road transport; pricing; networks

A model of factors affecting independent learners’ engagement with feedback on language learning tasks

In independent learning contexts, the effectiveness of the feedback dialogue between student and tutor or, in the absence of a tutor, the quality of the learning materials, is essential to successful learning. Using the voices of participants as the prime source of data through a combination of data-driven and concept-driven approaches, this investigation attempts to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of the learning process as students express emotional reactions to the learning environment and in particular the written feedback from their tutors and the learning materials. To account for the different ways in which adult learners studying independently engage both cognitively and emotionally with external feedback, we propose a model based on four key drivers: goal relevance, knowledge, self-confidence, and roles. We conclude that only when these key drivers are aligned with each other can learners in independent settings engage with external feedback and learn from it

An analysis of core-competences of successful multinational team leaders

Copyright @ 2010 The Authors. This is the author's accepted manuscript. The final published article is available from the link below.Researchers have endeavoured to understand the factors that enable effective functioning of multinational teams (MNTs) but with few exceptions they have ignored studying the competences of MNT leaders. In this paper we present those competences leaders must possess in order to effectively lead MNTs. Our findings are based on 70 problem-centred interviews with MNT leaders and members from five multinational corporations. The competences our interviewees mentioned most frequently for effective leadership were knowledge management and transfer. Results further indicated that a leader must be cross-culturally competent and multilingual in order to motivate MNT members to fully explore, exploit and transfer valuable knowledge within the team and beyond

Extending the Carrel system to mediate in the organ and tissue allocation processes: a first approach

In this paper we extend the formalization of Carrel, a virtual organization for the procurement of tissues for transplantation purposes, in order to model also the procurement of human organs for transplants. We will focus in the organ allocation process to show how it can be formalized with the ISLANDER formalism. Also we present a first mechanism to federate the institution in several geographically-distributed platforms.Postprint (published version