The Consent Paradox: Accounting for the Prominent Role of Consent in Data Protection

The concept of consent is a central pillar of data protection. It features prominently in research, regulation, and public debates on the subject, in spite of the wide-ranging criticisms that have been levelled against it. In this paper, I refer to this as the consent paradox. I argue that consent continues to play a central role not despite but because the criticisms of it. I analyze the debate on consent in the scholarly literature in general, and among German data protection professionals in particular, showing that it is a focus on the informed individual that keeps the concept of consent in place. Critiques of consent based on the notion of “informedness” reinforce the centrality of consent rather than calling it into question. They allude to a market view that foregrounds individual choice. Yet, the idea of a data market obscures more fundamental objections to consent, namely the individual’s dependency on data controllers’ services that renders the assumption of free choice a fiction

Managing formalization to increase global team effectiveness and meaningfulness of work in multinational organizations

Global teams may help to integrate across locations, and yet, with formalized rules and procedures, responsiveness to those locations’ effectiveness, and the team members’ experiences of work as meaningful may suffer. We employ a mixed-methods approach to understand how the level and content of formalization can be managed to resolve these tensions in multinationals. In a sample of global teams from a large mining and resources organization operating across 44 countries, interviews, observations, and a quantitative 2-wave survey revealed a great deal of variability between teams in how formalization processes were enacted. Only those formalization processes that promoted knowledge sharing were instrumental in improving team effectiveness. Implementing rules and procedures in the set-up of the teams and projects, rather than during interactions, and utilizing protocols to help establish the global team as a source of identity increased this knowledge sharing. Finally, we found members’ personal need for structure moderated the effect of team formalization on how meaningful individuals found their work within the team. These findings have significant implications for theory and practice in multinational organizations

Antimicrobial activity of Ti-ZrN/Ag coatings for use in biomaterial applications

Severely broken bones often require external bone fixation pins to provide support but they can become infected. In order to reduce such infections, novel solutions are required. Titanium zirconium nitride (Ti-ZrN) and Ti-ZrN silver (Ti-ZrN/Ag) coatings were deposited onto stainless steel. Surface microtopography demonstrated that on the silver containing surfaces, Sa and Sv values demonstrated similar trends whilst the Ra, average height and RMS value and Sp values increased with increasing silver concentration. On the Ti-ZrN/Ag coatings, surface hydrophobicity followed the same trend as the Sa and Sv values. An increase in dead Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis cells was observed on the coatings with a higher silver concentration. Using CTC staining, a significant increase in S. aureus respiration on the silver containing surfaces was observed in comparison to the stainless steel control whilst against S. epidermidis, no significant difference in viable cells was observed across the surfaces. Cytotoxicity testing revealed that the TiZrN coatings, both with and without varying silver concentrations, did not possess a detrimental effect to a human monocyte cell line U937. This work demonstrated that such coatings have the potential to reduce the viability of bacteria that result in pin tract infections

Cavernoma gigante: relato de dois casos Giant cavernous angioma: report of two cases

Angiomas cavernosos ou hemangiomas ou ainda cavernomas são malformações do sistema nervoso central, classificadas como lesões cerebrais vasculares ocultas, frequentemente assintomáticas, sendo relativamente raras. Definidas histologicamente como massas compactas cavernosas ou canais sinusoidais de vários tamanhos, com paredes finas no interior do parênquima cerebral e sem intervenção do tecido glial. Podem ocorrer em qualquer faixa etária inclusive em neonatos. Na maioria das vezes são lesões de tamanho reduzido, localizadas no interior do parênquima encefálico. Angiograficamente não mostram alterações com circulação patológica, podendo mesmo não ser diagnosticados pela tomografia, sendo o exame ideal para o seu diagnóstico a ressonância magnética de crânio. Os cavernomas são lesões histologicamente benignas mas, dependendo de sua localização, podem trazer grandes transtornos neurológicos e ser irressecáveis. A exérese cirúrgica da lesão é o tratamento de escolha se a lesão for única e em localização favorável e estiver desencadeando sintomatologia neurológica prejudicial ao paciente. Apresentamos dois casos de cavernomas gigantes que apresentaram boa evolução após ressecção cirúrgica completa. Descritos como gigantes, foram encontrados apenas três casos individuais na literatura .<br>Cavernous angiomas or haemangiomas or yet cavernomas are malformations of the central nervous system classified as occult vascular brain lesions. These rare lesions are clinically silent. They are defined by the presence of abnormally large vascular cavities or sinusoids channels of variable size, with sharp walls, located inside but not invading the brain parenchyma. They can occur at any age, including the neonatal period. Most of the small lesions are located inside the brain parenchyma. No abnormal circulation can be demonstrated in angiography and CT scan can be helpful for diagnosis only in rare occasions. Magnetic resonance is the best exam to demonstrate the lesion. Despite the benign character some lesions may cause neurologic dysfunction when their removal may be difficult. Complete extirpation is the best treatment if the lesion is favorable located and is causing neurological dysfunction. Two cases of giant cavernomas with good outcome after total removal are present. Only three cases of giant cavernomas were reported in the literature