The eurozone's critical design flaws

A European Monetary Fund and governance mechanisms with bite would address the problems underlying the current crisis

Make state capitalism pay its way

Transaction taxes would help the City pay back its cash debt to society – and now is the perfect time to introduce them

A Social Dimension for Transatlantic Economic Relations

Transatlantic Economic Relations (TER) was neglected by politi¬cians for much of the twentieth century as international security issues took priority. Since the end of the Cold War, however, and as economic issues have come to prominence TER has assumed increasing importance and yet is largely overlooked in academic discussion. This report places TER in its historical context and demonstrates how the political agenda and institutional setup are both largely dysfunctional. Viewed through the prism of industrial relations and drawing on some real life examples from both sides of the Atlantic, it argues that the social dimension is a challenge central to the future development of the relationship and proposes institutional innovations which could also be replicated in other areas: for instance in support of environmental concerns. Presenting some guiding principles for transatlantic trade, this paper recommends the creation of a new secretariat to act as a permanent contact point and providing a variety of practical functions essential to making TER work

Comprender la revolución digital y lo que realmente implica

La revolución digital, que aquí utilizamos como la síntesis de un cambio tecnológico más amplio, es uno de los temas que genera los debates más acalorados en los ámbitos político, económico y empresarial. Hace que los políticos evalúen concienzudamente las políticas preparatorias a desarrollar, que los economistas se focalicen en el aumento de la productividad y que los sindicatos reflexionen sobre cuál es el futuro del trabajo. Nos enfrentamos indudablemente a una serie de disrupciones a gran escala que requerirán ajustes en multitud de áreas

Five filters moderate the technological revolution

Henning Meyer discusses the ways in which technological progress actually translates into real lif

Why businesses need to be social and political actors

Research indicates that businesses are among the most trusted institutions. With trust comes the expectation for leaders to speak out on socio-political issues. In this repost, Henning Meyer examines the move away from the Friedman Doctrine, due to consumer, employee and external pressures

Lightweight glass technology: weight reductions and surface coatings

[no abstract available

The nearby population of M dwarfs with WISE: A search for warm circumstellar dust

Circumstellar debris disks are important because of their connection to planetary systems. An efficient way to identify these systems is through their infrared excess. Most studies so far concentrated on early-type or solar-type stars, but less effort has gone into investigating M dwarfs. We characterize the mid-infrared photometric behavior of M dwarfs and search for infrared excess in nearby M dwarfs taken from the volume-limited RECONS sample using data from the WISE satellite and the 2MASS catalog. Our sample consists of 85 sources encompassing 103 M dwarfs. We derive empirical infrared colors from these data and discuss their errors. Based on this, we check the stars for infrared excess and discuss the minimum excess we would be able to detect. Other than the M8.5 dwarf SCR 1845-6357 A, where the excess is produced by a known T6 companion, we detect no excesses in any of our sample stars. The limits we derive for the 22um excess are slightly higher than the usual detection limit of 10-15% for Spitzer studies, but including the [12]-[22] color in our analysis allows us to derive tight constraints on the fractional dust luminosity L_dust/L_star. We show that this result is consistent with M dwarf excesses in the mid-inrared being as frequent as excesses around earlier-type stars. The low detection rate could be an age effect. We also present a tentative excess detection at 22um around the known cold debris disk M dwarf AU Mic, which is not part of our statistical sample. There is still no clear detection of a mid-infrared excess around any old (>30 Myr) main-sequence M dwarf. It is unclear whether this is due to a different dust evolution around M dwarfs or whether this is an age effect combined with the diffculties involved in searching M dwarfs for infrared excesses. A significantly larger sample of well-studied M dwarfs is required to solve this question.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, 15 pages, 7 figure

Improving Teaching Quality In Higher Education: A Practitioner\u27s Guide To Using Formative Teaching Analysis Poll

Teaching Analysis Poll (TAP) has become an increasingly popular tool for evaluating teaching quality and enhancing student learning outcomes in higher education. It requires, however, additional human resources. This paper presents a modified version for easy implementation: Formative Teaching Analysis Poll (FTAP). It can be used by an individual educator and is nonetheless an effective practical method for practitioners in higher education to improve their teaching quality and enhance the learning experience of their students. Based on a review of literature and personal experience using FTAP, in this paper we provide an overview of the underlying methodology of FTAP, its benefits, and how it can be effectively implemented in higher education. FTAP involves collecting formative feedback from students on various aspects of teaching and learning methods, formats, and quality. It may include instructional methods, course design, and student engagement. The collected data is then analysed to identify areas of improvement and to inform teaching practice. This paper highlights the benefits of FTAP for educators, including the provision of valuable feedback and means to implement it into an ongoing course. FTAP not only contributes to enhance teaching performances but is a powerful instrument to involve students and learners in the design and creation of a learning environment based on their needs. Illustrated with a case example, we show how by actively engaging in the learning process students reflect on their individual needs and take ownership for their education. In conclusion, this paper provides practitioners in higher education with an experience based, practical guide to evaluate their pedagogical and didactical approach, improve teaching quality, and enhance student learning experiences

In Vivo Corrosion of Two Novel Magnesium Alloys ZEK100 and AX30 and Their Mechanical Suitability as Biodegradable Implants

In magnesium alloys, the components used modify the alloy properties. For magnesium implants in contact with bone, rare earths alloys are commonly examined. These were shown to have a higher corrosion resistance than other alloys and a high mechanical strength, but their exact composition is hard to predict. Therefore a reduction of their content could be favorable. The alloys ZEK100 and AX30 have a reduced content or contain no rare earths at all. The aim of the study was to investigate their in vivo degradation and to assess the suitability of the in vivo μCT for the examination of their corrosion. Implants were inserted in rabbit tibiae. Clinical examinations, X-rays and in vivo μCT scans were done regularly. Afterwards implants were analyzed with REM, electron dispersive X-ray (EDX), weighing and mechanical testing. The in vivo μCT is of great advantage, because it allows a quantification of the corrosion rate and qualitative 3D assessment of the corrosion morphology. The location of the implant has a remarkable effect on the corrosion rate. Due to its mechanical characteristics and its corrosion behavior, ZEK100 was judged to be suitable, while AX30, which displays favorable degradation behavior, has too little mechanical strength for applications in weight bearing bones