Algebro-Geometric Finite-Gap Solutions of the Ablowitz-Ladik Hierarchy

We provide a detailed derivation of all complex-valued algebro-geometric finite-band solutions of the Ablowitz-Ladik hierarchy. In addition, we survey a recursive construction of the Ablowitz-Ladik hierarchy and its zero-curvature and Lax formalism.Comment: 41 page

The non-use of evidence in the adoption of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax in OECD countries.

BACKGROUND Studies confirm the positive effect of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation on public health. However, only a few countries in Europe adopt SSB taxes. From a public policy perspective, we investigate the conditions under which countries do or do not follow this evidence. METHODS Crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of 26 European Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development countries with and without an SSB tax. We test which configurations of conditions (problem pressure, governmental composition, strategic planning, health care system, public health policies, inclusion of expert advice in policymaking) emerge as relevant in determining adoption and non-adoption between the years 1981 and 2021. Pathways that lead to the presence and absence of SSB taxes are identified separately. RESULTS At least one of the following configurations of conditions is present in countries that introduced taxation: (i) high financial problem pressure, low regulatory impact assessment activity; (ii) high public health problem pressure, a contribution-financed health care system, no holistic strategy for combatting non-communicable diseases (NCDs); (iii) a tax-financed health care system, a holistic NCD strategy, high strategic and executive planning capacity. In countries that did not adopt SSB taxes, we find (i) high regulatory impact assessment activity, high levels of sugar export; (ii) no holistic NCD strategy, high spending on preventive care; (iii and iv) a lack of strategic planning capacity and either a high share of spending on preventive care or inclusion of expert advice. DISCUSSION Evidence inclusion requires clear policy priorities in terms of strategy and resources to promote public health

How to Manage Organizational Reputation when Under Attack: Learnings from the Child and Adult Protection Authorities

What does the reputation management of a public authority look like under extreme conditions? The present article studies the Swiss Child and Adult Protection Authorities (CAPA), which experienced a major reputational crisis after a mother killed her two children in 2015 and accused the CAPA of bearing responsibility. We use the CAPA as one of the most contested public organizations in Switzerland to study reputation management when a public authority is under severe attack and draw learnings for public organizations in similar situations in the future. Applying the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) in a content analysis to newspaper articles from the German- speaking part of Switzerland, we examine narratives uttered by CAPA representatives. Furthermore, by comparing the CAPA’s communication with a similar case in the Romandie, we draw general lessons for public organizations that want to improve their reputation management and crisis communication. The results show how in German-speaking Switzerland, negative media reports increased sharply and caused lasting damage to the CAPA’s reputation. By contrast, the scandal in French-speaking Switzerland did not lead to a full-blown crisis. Our findings underscore the need for public organizations to speak up when under attack, to build up the respective communication skills and resources and to employ positive narratives with shiny hero characters rather than negative narratives emphasizing villains.Wie sieht das Reputationsmanagement einer Behörde unter Extrembedingungen aus? Der vorliegende Artikel untersucht die schweizerischen Kindes- und Erwachsenenschutzbehörden (KESB), die eine schwere Reputationskrise erlebten, nachdem eine Mutter im Jahr 2015 ihre beiden Kinder getötet und die KESB beschuldigt hatte, dafür verantwortlich zu sein. Wir verwenden die KESB als eine der am stärksten umstrittenen öffentlichen Organisationen in der Schweiz, um zu untersuchen, wie Reputationsmanagement aussieht, wenn eine öffentliche Behörde massiv angegriffen wird, und um Lehren für öffentliche Organisationen in der Zukunft zu ziehen, wenn sie sich in ähnlichen Situationen wiederfinden. Wir untersuchen Narrative von KESB-Vertreter*innen, die in grossen deutschsprachigen Schweizer Zeitungen erschienen sind. Darüber hinaus vergleichen wir die Kommunikation der KESB mit einem ähnlichen Fall in der Romandie und ziehen daraus allgemeine Lehren für öffentliche Organisationen, die ihr Reputationsmanagement und ihre Krisenkommunikation verbessern wollen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, wie in der Deutschschweiz die negative Medienberichterstattung ausser Kontrolle geriet und den Ruf der KESB nachhaltig schädigte. Im Gegensatz dazu führte der Skandal in der Westschweiz nicht zu einer ernsthaften Krise. Unsere Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Notwendigkeit für öffentliche Organisationen, sich zu äussern, wenn sie angegriffen werden, die entsprechenden Kommunikationsfähigkeiten und -ressourcen aufzubauen und positive Narrative mit glänzenden Heldenfiguren anstelle von negativen Narrativen mit Bösewichten zu verbreiten.À quoi ressemble la gestion de la réputation d’une autorité publique dans des conditions extrêmes? Cet article analyse les services de protection de la jeunesse (SPJ) suisses, qui ont connu une crise de réputation majeure après qu’une mère ait tué ses deux enfants en 2015 et accusé la SPJ d’en porter la responsabilité. Nous utilisons la SPJ comme l’une des organisations publiques les plus contestées en Suisse pour étudier la gestion de la réputation lorsqu’une autorité publique est sévèrement attaquée et pour en tirer des leçons pour les organisations publiques dans des situations similaires à l’avenir. Nous examinons les narratifs des représentants de la SPJ qui ont été publiés dans les principaux journaux suisses germanophones. En outre, en comparant la communication de la SPJ avec un cas similaire en Romandie, nous tirons des leçons générales pour les organisations publiques qui veulent améliorer leur gestion de la réputation et leur communication de crise. Les résultats montrent comment, en Suisse alémanique, les rapports négatifs des médias ont échappé à tout contrôle et ont causé des dommages durables à la réputation de la SPJ. En revanche, le scandale en Suisse romande n’a pas débouché sur une véritable crise. Nos résultats soulignent la nécessité pour les organisations publiques de s’exprimer lorsqu’elles sont attaquées, de renforcer leurs compétences et leurs ressources en matière de communication et d’utiliser des narratifs positifs avec des héros brillants plutôt que des narratifs négatifs présentant des méchants

Public agency resilience in times of democratic backsliding: Structure, collaboration and professional standards

This article investigates how organizational structure, collaboration, and professional standards influence the resilience of public agencies facing adversity. It links organizational reputation and blame avoidance literature with resilience and collaboration literature. We use the case of the Swiss Child and Adult Protection Agencies (CAPA), which faced massive media attacks. We apply a qualitative research design analyzing data from interviews and participatory observations. Our findings show that professional organizational structure, collaboration and standards are three interrelated factors that increase resilience against adversity. In particular, these factors reduce “blame-avoiding policy implementation” (BAPI), which is a coping strategy where street-level bureaucrats (SLB) exploit their discretion to make policy implementation less blameworthy. In their interplay, professional organizational structure, collaboration and standards increase the knowledge of a public agency about a particular situation because they enable better-informed decisions through collective deliberation practices, and strengthens the collective ownership as well as the individual SLB's confidence that the right decision is being made

The effect of rut and hunting activity on movement in female moose with and without calves

Moose (Alces alces) in Norway are exposed to intensive hunting pressure each autumn. Besides the rut, already an energetically costly period of the year, we may expect disturbance to moose by hunters to trigger anti-predator behavior that results in different movement rates and activity ranges in comparison to the rest of the year. Adult female moose (N=12) from a population in south-eastern Norway were selected for spatial and temporal analysis. I examined the individual variation in home range size and movement rate and evaluated the role of hunters' disturbance as an important determinant of movement. The effect of females' reproduction status on their response to disturbance was also investigated. I tested for differences in movement rate (m1h) and activity range (km2 , 99% MCPs) within three 3-week-periods, pre-rut (29.8.2007-18.9.2007), rut (19.9.2007-9.10.2007) and hunting season (10.10.2007-30.10.2007). Differences among periods were significant for movement rate (p=0.003) but not activity range (p=O.27). Movement rate increased during rut and increased further during hunting season. Females accompanied by calves had a higher movement rate than lone females during the hunting season (p = 0.01). Also in the hunting season females tended to increase their movement during daytime. Disturbance of hunters during autumn therefore appears to affect female moose in their movement, and trigger antipredator behavior, especially when accompanied by offspring. / Elgjakta i Norge kan være en periode full av stress for elgen. Elgens respons på jakta kan sammenlignes med respons på andre predatorer. Jakta overlapper delvis med den energikrevende brunstperioden, og kan representere en ekstra energikostnad for elgen, ved at jakta fører til endret bevegelsesmønster og aktivitetsmønster sammenlignet med normal aktivitet. I dette studiet ble 12 elgkuer fra en populasjon i Telemark radiomerket for å analysere bevegelsesmønstere i rom og tid. Jeg har analysert individuell variasjon i størrelsen på hjemmeområde og bevegelseshastighet som følge av jaktperioden. Jeg har også undersøkt om reproduktiv status (med/uten kalv) har noen effekt på kuas respons på jakta. Jeg har sammenlignet hastighet og områdebruk mellom tre 3-ukers perioder, før-brunst (29.8.2007- I8.9.2007), brunst (19.9.2007 - 9.10.2007) og jakttid (10- I0.2007 - 30.10.2007). Elgens hastighet økte fra før-brunst til brunst perioden, og økte også fra brunst til jakttid (p = 0.003). Kuer med kalv hadde en høyere hastighet enn kuer uten kalv i jakttia (p = 0.01). Under jakta økte hastigheten på dagtid sammenlignet med natt. Jakt og brunsstid hadde ingen effekt på størrelsen på hjemmeomradet (p = 0.27). Utifra dette studiet kan jeg konkludere at jakta representerer en forstyrrelse for elgkuer, som fører til anti-predator atferd som økt bevegelseshastighet, spesielt for kuer med kalv

Virtual Reality Therapy for Fall Prevention in Older Adults A Comparative Study to Conventional Exercise

Purpose The purpose of this critically appraised topic is to investigate if VR-HMD interventions have a superseding impact on older adults in preventing falls in comparison to conventional physical therapy balance exercises. Introduction Increases in technology, one of the newest being virtual reality, has positively impacted the world of rehabilitation. There are many different types of virtual reality systems that are used, but the most common is the Virtual Reality Head Mounted Display (VR-HMD). In the United States, 28% of adults aged 65 and older report falling each year. This is significant because falls are the leading cause of injury-related death among this population, and the age-adjusted fall death rate is increasing

Tracer Survey in the Cape Verde Region Traceraufnahme in der Kapverdenregion Cruise No. 10, Leg 1 October 31 – December 06, 2008 Ponta Delgada (Portugal) – Mindelo (Cape Verde Islands)

The research cruise MSM10/1 was extremely successful. All programs were able to collect high quality data and the anticipated goals of the expedition were fully met. We have been able to carry out the first comprehensive survey of a tracer release in the Guinea Upwelling region (GUTRE) roughly seven month after the tracer was released at 8°N 23°W in April 2008. We have estimated that a total of 40% of the tracer was found during this cruise. While the horizontal spreading and mixing was larger than anticipated, the vertical extent of the tracer found was small. The low vertical tracer spreading rate estimates are supported by the micro structure profile data. The extensive survey of the upper 1000m of the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) allowed comparing our sections with several previous surveys. We found that the lowest oxygen values in the core of the OMZ have dropped at record low values below 40 μmol/kg. The preliminary findings from the trace metal work focused on Fe ligand measurements shows a slight higher excess ligand concentration in the surface (50m) for three stations. The two other stations show a slight decrease at this depth. A large number of biochemical samples were taken and were analyzed in Kiel for DNA and RNA diversity. The tracer release experiment provided an ideal environment for repeated biochemical sampling in the same water mass

Stresslagertest mit Gurken (Cucumis sativus L.) aus konventionellem und organischen Anbau – ein Laborvergleich

Ein Stress-Lagertest wurde mit Gurken (Cucumis sativus L.) durchgeführt. In 39 von 54 Vergleichen wurden signifikant höhere Werte bei ökologischen gegenüber konventionellen Gurken festgestellt

Wissenschaftliche Politikberatung in Krisenzeiten in der Schweiz: Eine Analyse der Finanzkrise, des Fukushima-Unfalls und der Covid-19-Pandemie. Study commissioned by the Swiss Science Council

Diese Studie wurde zwischen September 2021 und Juni 2022 von den Universitäten Bern, St. Gallen und Lausanne im Auftrag des Schweizerischen Wissenschaftsrats (SWR) durchgeführt. Die Studie befasst sich mit der Frage der wissenschaftlichen Politikberatung in der Schweizer Bundesverwaltung und Politik in Krisensituationen. Sie beantwortet anhand einer vergleichenden Analyse der wissenschaftlichen Politikberatungssysteme in drei vergangenen Krisen − der Finanzkrise 2008−2009, dem Atomunfall in Fukushima 2011 und der Covid-19-Pandemie 2020−2022 − folgende übergeordnete Fragestellung (Kapitel 1): Welche Organisationsformen und Systeme der wissenschaftlichen Politikberatung wurden in vergangenen Krisen eingesetzt und wie haben sich diese bewährt? Die drei Krisen wurden aufgrund ihrer unterschiedlichen Merkmale sowie der unterschiedlichen wissenschaftlichen Politikberatungssysteme, die jeweils zum Einsatz kamen, ausgewählt. Diese Unterschiede ermöglichen es, verschiedene Science-for-Policy-Mechanismen zu erforschen. Die Studie wurde von einem interdisziplinären Team durchgeführt, welches einen historischen und politikwissenschaftlichen Ansatz kombinierte. Das Mandat ist Teil der verschiedenen Initiativen, die im Rahmen der Aufarbeitung der Pandemiebewältigung darauf abzielen, Lehren für die Zukunft zu ziehen