Growth aspirations and social capital: Young firms in a post-conflict environnment

We explore the social determinants of growth aspirations of young firms’ owners and managers in a post-conflict economy. We focus on social capital, which we treat as a multi-dimensional phenomenon, studying not only the effect of owners’ and managers’ personal networks on growth aspirations, but also other facets that facilitate cooperation such as trust in institutions and generalised trust in people. We posit that that the generalised trust amplifies the beneficial effects of personal business networks, explaining how this conclusion diverges from earlier literature. We argue that in a post-conflict country, preservation of ethnic diversity is indicative of tolerance and low communication barriers and social capital appropriable for entrepreneurship. Our empirical counterpart and hypotheses testing rely on survey of young businesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Molecular Lysine Tweezers Counteract Aberrant Protein Aggregation.

Molecular tweezers (MTs) are supramolecular host molecules equipped with two aromatic pincers linked together by a spacer (Gakh, 2018). They are endowed with fascinating properties originating from their ability to hold guests between their aromatic pincers (Chen and Whitlock, 1978; Zimmerman, 1991; Harmata, 2004). MTs are finding an increasing number of medicinal applications, e.g., as bis-intercalators for DNA such as the anticancer drug Ditercalinium (Gao et al., 1991), drug activity reverters such as the bisglycoluril tweezers Calabadion 1 (Ma et al., 2012) as well as radioimmuno detectors such as Venus flytrap clusters (Paxton et al., 1991). We recently embarked on a program to create water-soluble tweezers which selectively bind the side chains of lysine and arginine inside their cavity. This unique recognition mode is enabled by a torus-shaped, polycyclic framework, which is equipped with two hydrophilic phosphate groups. Cationic amino acid residues are bound by the synergistic effect of disperse, hydrophobic, and electrostatic interactions in a kinetically fast reversible process. Interactions of the same kind play a key role in numerous protein-protein interactions, as well as in pathologic protein aggregation. Therefore, these particular MTs show a high potential to disrupt such events, and indeed inhibit misfolding and self-assembly of amyloidogenic polypeptides without toxic side effects. The mini-review provides insight into the unique binding mode of MTs both toward peptides and aggregating proteins. It presents the synthesis of the lead compound CLR01 and its control, CLR03. Different biophysical experiments are explained which elucidate and help to better understand their mechanism of action. Specifically, we show how toxic aggregates of oligomeric and fibrillar protein species are dissolved and redirected to form amorphous, benign assemblies. Importantly, these new chemical tools are shown to be essentially non-toxic in vivo. Due to their reversible moderately tight binding, these agents are not protein-, but rather process-specific, which suggests a broad range of applications in protein misfolding events. Thus, MTs are highly promising candidates for disease-modifying therapy in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases. This is an outstanding example in the evolution of supramolecular concepts toward biological application

Le réseau des commissions extra-parlementaires (1910- 2000) : essor et déclin d'une expression institutionnelle du néocorporatisme helvétique

Les commissions extra-parlementaires sont des organes administratifs chargés de tâches consultatives ou exécutives pour le compte du gouvernement, mais essentiellement composés par des personnes externes à l'administration fédérale. Ces commissions sont à ce titre traversées d'une tension entre une logique d'expertise et une logique de représentation. A partir d'une analyse structurale de réseaux, nous avons distingué ces deux logiques en mettant plus particulièrement en lumière les spécificités de la deuxième : nous avons ainsi analysé, selon une approche diachronique portant sur cinq dates du 20e siècle (1910, 1937, 1957, 1980 et 2000), l'évolution de la morphologie des liens entre commissions et entre acteurs à partir desquels s'opèrent des processus de coordination, de concession et de marchandage politique. Nos recherches ont montré que ces liens de « concordance » se densifient continuellement entre 1910 et 1980, avec une accélération marquée à partir de la fin de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. Ces liens sont essentiellement développés par les différentes associations d'intérêts et portent presque exclusivement sur les politiques économiques et sociales. Les CEP apparaissent ainsi à cette date comme une des principales institutions néocorporatistes de concordance. Cette évolution s'inverse toutefois largement entre 1980 et 2000 avec une diminution importante de ce type de liens, ce qui remet en cause la logique de coordination des commissions. Trois facteurs en sont principalement à l'origine : le processus de réforme du système commissionnaliste qui commence dans les années 1970, le processus d'internationalisation qui touche la Suisse depuis les années 1980 et finalement un changement de préférences et de répertoire d'action d'un certain nombre d'associations économiques et sociales, qui se détournent progressivement des mécanismes de coopération transversale caractéristiques des régimes néocorporatistes. Toutefois, malgré cette évolution, un noyau de concordance persiste sur une base plus limitée entre les associations d'intérêts « traditionnelles » au sujet de certaines politiques économiques et sociales.Extra-parliamentary commissions (EPC) are organs that assume consultative or executive tasks on behalf of the government and the administration but are essentially composed of persons who are not civil servants. As a consequence, they express the tension between the logic of expertise and the logic of representation. Thanks to a structural network analysis, we distinguished these two logics and highlighted the specificities of the second: according to a diachronic approach based on five years of the 20th century (1910, 1937, 1957, 1980, and 2000), we analysed the specific evolution of the ties between commissions and between members that are parts of a log-rolling and bargaining process. Our research showed that these kinds of ties became denser from 1910 to 1980, with acceleration beginning with the Second World War. These coordinative ties linked social and economic policies together and were developed, essentially, by the interests associations. As a consequence, the EPCs largely appear to be one of the main neocorporatist institutions during this period. However, this evolution was reversed between 1980 and 2000 with the important diminution of these coordinative ties, which called into question the neocorporatist role of the EPCs. Three main factors can be discussed to explain this evolution: the process reform of the EPC system that started in the 1970s, the globalization process that began in the 1980s, and, finally, a change in the strategies of the interest associations that progressively neglected cooperatives and neocorporatist mechanisms. However, despite this general evolution, a coordinative core persisted between some "traditional" interest associations

La red de las comisiones extraparlamentarias (1910- 2000) : auge y declive de una expresión institucional del neocorporativismo helvético

Las comisiones extraparlamentarias son órganos administrativos que asumen tareas consultivas o ejecutivas para el Gobierno, pero que están compuestas, esencialmente, por personas ajenas a la Administración Federal. En este sentido, las comisiones están en tensión, entre una lógica de evaluación de competencias y una lógica de representación. A partir de un análisis estructural de redes, hemos podido distinguir estas dos lógicas poniendo de manifiesto, en particular, las especificidades de la segunda: así pues, hemos analizado, de acuerdo con un enfoque diacrónico que abarca cinco fechas del siglo XX (los años 1910, 1937, 1957, 1980 y 2000), la evolución de la morfología de los vínculos entre comisiones y actores a partir de los cuales se operan procesos de coordinación, de concesión y de negociación política. Nuestros estudios han mostrado que estos vínculos de "concordancia" se intensifican de forma continua entre 1910 y 1980, con una aceleración marcada a partir del fin de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Estos vínculos han sido desarrollados básicamente por las diferentes asociaciones de intereses y atañen casi exclusivamente a las políticas económicas y sociales. Es así como las CEP aparecen por esa fecha como una de las principales instituciones neocorporativistas de concordancia. No obstante, esta evolución se invierte considerablemente entre 1980 y 2000, con una disminución importante de este tipo de vínculos, lo cual cuestiona la lógica de coordinación de las comisiones. La explicación la hallamos principalmente en los factores siguientes: el proceso de reforma del sistema comisionista que se inicia en los años 70, el proceso de internacionalización que afecta a Suiza desde los años 80, y por último, un cambio de preferencias y de repertorio de acción de un cierto número de asociaciones económicas y sociales, que se alejan progresivamente de los mecanismos de cooperación transversal característicos de los regímenes neocorporativistas. No obstante, a pesar de esta evolución, un núcleo de concordancia se mantiene, sobre una base más limitada, en las asociaciones de intereses "tradicionales" respecto a algunas políticas económicas y sociales.Extra-parliamentary commissions (EPC) are organs that assume consultative or executive tasks on behalf of the government and the administration but are essentially composed of persons who are not civil servants. As a consequence, they express the tension between the logic of expertise and the logic of representation. Thanks to a structural network analysis, we distinguished these two logics and highlighted the specificities of the second: according to a diachronic approach based on five years of the 20th century (1910, 1937, 1957, 1980, and 2000), we analyzed the specific evolution of the ties between commissions and between members that are parts of a log-rolling and bargaining process. Our research showed that these kinds of ties became denser from 1910 to 1980, with acceleration beginning with the Second World War. These coordinative ties linked social and economic policies together and were developed, essentially, by the interests associations. As a consequence, the EPCs largely appear to be one of the main neocorporatist institutions during this period. However, this evolution was reversed between 1980 and 2000 with the important diminution of these coordinative ties, which called into question the neocorporatist role of the EPCs. Three main factors can be discussed to explain this evolution: the process reform of the EPC system that started in the 1970s, the globalization process that began in the 1980s, and, finally, a change in the strategies of the interest associations that progressively neglected cooperatives and neocorporatist mechanisms. However, despite this general evolution, a coordinative core persisted between some "traditional" interest associations

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

Information practices of disaster preparedness professionals in multidisciplinary groups

OBJECTIVE: This article summarizes the results of a descriptive qualitative study addressing the question, what are the information practices of the various professionals involved in disaster preparedness? We present key results, but focus on issues of choice and adaptation of models and theories for the study. METHODS: Primary and secondary literature on theory and models of information behavior were consulted. Taylor's Information Use Environments (IUE) model, Institutional Theory, and Dervin's Sense-Making metatheory were used in the design of an open-ended interview schedule. Twelve individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with disaster professionals drawn from the Pennsylvania Preparedness Leadership Institute (PPLI) scholars. Taylor's Information Use Environments (IUE) model served as a preliminary coding framework for the transcribed interviews. RESULTS: Disaster professionals varied in their use of libraries, peer-reviewed literature, and information management techniques, but many practices were similar across professions, including heavy Internet and email use, satisficing, and preference for sources that are socially and physically accessible. CONCLUSIONS: The IUE model provided an excellent foundation for the coding scheme, but required modification to place the workplace in the larger social context of the current information society. It is not possible to confidently attribute all work-related information practices to professional culture. Differences in information practice observed may arise from professional training and organizational environment, while many similarities observed seem to arise from everyday information practices common to non-work settings

Fluctuation scaling, the calibration of dispersion, and the detection of differences

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by American Chemical Society in Analytical Chemistry on 11/10/2017, available online: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.7b02909 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Fluctuation scaling describes the relationship between the mean and standard deviation of a set of measurements. An example is Horwitz scaling which has been reported from inter-laboratory studies. Horwitz and similar studies have reported simple exponential and segmented scaling laws with exponents (��) typically between 0.85 (Horwitz) and 1 when not operating near a detection limit. When approaching a detection limit the exponents change and approach an apparently Gaussian (�� = 0) model. This behavior is generally presented as a property of inter-laboratory studies which makes controlled replication to understand the behavior costly to perform. To assess the contribution of instrumentation to larger scale fluctuation scaling, we measured the behavior of two inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) systems, in two laboratories measuring thulium using 2 emission lines. The standard deviation universally increased with the uncalibrated signal indicating the system was heteroscedastic. The response from all lines and both instruments was consistent with a single exponential dispersion model having parameters �� = 1.09 and �� = 0.0035. No evidence of Horwitz scaling was found and there was no evidence of Poisson noise limiting behavior. The ���Gaussian��� component was a consequence of background subtraction for all lines and both instruments. The observation of a simple exponential dispersion model in the data allows for the definition of a difference detection limit (DDL) with universal applicability to systems following known dispersion. The DDL is the minimum separation between two points along a dispersion model required to claim they are different according to a particular statistical test. The DDL scales transparently with the mean and works at any location in a response function