Choice and information in the public sector: a Higher Education case study

Successive governments have encouraged the view of users of public services as consumers, choosing between different providers on the basis of information about the quality of service. As part of this approach, prospective students are expected to make their decisions about which universities to apply to with reference to the consumer evaluations provided by the National Student Survey. However, a case study of a post-1992 university showed that not all students made genuine choices and those who did tended to be in stronger social and economic positions. Where choices were made, they were infrequently based on external evaluations of quality

High-efficiency WSi superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors for quantum state engineering in the near infrared

We report on high-efficiency superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors based on amorphous WSi and optimized at 1064 nm. At an operating temperature of 1.8 K, we demonstrated a 93% system detection efficiency at this wavelength with a dark noise of a few counts per second. Combined with cavity-enhanced spontaneous parametric down-conversion, this fiber-coupled detector enabled us to generate narrowband single photons with a heralding efficiency greater than 90% and a high spectral brightness of $0.6\times10^4$ photons/(s$\cdot$mW$\cdot$MHz). Beyond single-photon generation at large rate, such high-efficiency detectors open the path to efficient multiple-photon heralding and complex quantum state engineering

Glycemic Control Protocol Comparison using Virtual Trials

DTM2011 handbook/programme is given in files and also available as a hard copyBackground: Several accurate glycemic control (AGC) protocols for critical care patients exist but making comparisons is very hard. Objective: This study uses clinically validated virtual patient methods to compare safety and performance for several published AGC protocols. Method: Clinically validated virtual trials were run on 371 patients (39,481 hours, 26,646 measurements) created from the SPRINT AGC cohort. For protocols that do not modulate feed rates enteral nutrition was held at 100% of ACCP goal (25kcal/kg/day) when the patients were clinically fed, and parenteral nutrition rates were matched to clinical data. Performance was defined as %BG within glycemic bands and BG measurement frequency. Safety was defined as the incidence of severe (number patients with BG<40mg/dL) and moderate (%BG<72mg/dL) hypoglycemia. Clinical data from SPRINT is also compared. Results: Clinical SPRINT performance data matched re-simulated SPRINT with 86% vs. 86% BG in 80-145mg/dL, 2.00% vs. 2.07% BG above 180mg/dL and 7.83% vs. 7.29% BG below 72mg/dL, with 14 measurements (over 8 patients) of BG<40mg/dL. Yale results were 83.5%, 3.20%, 5.18%, with 6 severe hypoglycemic patients, using 37,961 measurements (23.0/day). Glucontrol had 75.2%, 3.70%, 9.45%, 52 cases and 26,199 measurements (15.8/day). Braithwaite had 84.2%, 3.00%, 4.22%, 19 cases and 24,396 measurements (14.8/day). The STAR (Stochastic TARgeted) model-based method had 90.6%, 1.67%, 1.33%, 5 cases and 20,591 measurements (12.3/day). Conclusions: Virtual trials provided an effective comparison across protocols with different target bands/values and different clinical cohorts. The model-based STAR protocol provided the best management of patient variability yielding the best performance and safety

Kinase suppressor of Ras 1 is not required for the generation of regulatory and memory T cells

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase is a critical regulator of the differentiation of helper and regulatory CD4+ T cells, as well as memory CD8+ T cells. In this study, we investigated the role of the ERK signaling pathway in regulating mTOR activation in T cells. We showed that activation of ERK following TCR engagement is required for sustained mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) activation. Absence of kinase suppressor of Ras 1 (KSR1), a scaffold protein of the ERK signaling pathway, or inhibition of ERK resulted in decreased mTORC1 activity following T cell activation. However, KSR1-deficient mice displayed normal regulatory CD4+ T cell development, as well as normal memory CD8+ T cell responses to LCMV and Listeria monocytogenes infection. These data indicate that despite its role in mTORC1 activation, KSR1 is not required in vivo for mTOR-dependent T cell differentiation

Glucometer accuracy and implications for clinical studies

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Demonstration of Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Steering Using Hybrid Continuous- and Discrete-Variable Entanglement of Light

Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen steering is known to be a key resource for one-sided device-independent quantum information protocols. Here we demonstrate steering using hybrid entanglement between continuous- and discrete-variable optical qubits. To this end, we report on suitable steering inequalities and detail the implementation and requirements for this demonstration. Steering is experimentally certified by observing a violation by more than 5 standard deviations. Our results illustrate the potential of optical hybrid entanglement for applications in heterogeneous quantum networks that would interconnect disparate physical platforms and encodings

Hva driver kostnadsoverskridelser i prosjekter hvor entreprenører samarbeider, og hvilke tiltak kan redusere slike overskridelser?

Samspillsprosjekter er utberedt, utviklet og standardisert i andre land. I Norge derimot er fenomenet forholdsvis nytt. Mangelen på en omforent definisjon og en Norsk Standard, har ført til forvirring knyttet til hva samspill innebærer. Som følge av dette har slike prosjekter blitt preget av mangel på åpenhet, kostnadsoverskridelser og lav tillit mellom aktørene. Kostnadsoverskridelse trekkes frem som et av mange vedvarende problemer i norsk byggeindustri. Litteraturen hevder at kostnadsoverskridelse kan reduseres dersom samarbeidet mellom partene forbedres. Dette ga motivasjon for å utarbeide følgende problemstilling: Hva driver kostnadsoverskridelser i prosjekter hvor entreprenører samarbeider, og hvilke tiltak kan redusere slike overskridelser? Oppgavens bidrag til litteraturen er å finne tiltak som kan hindre, om ikke eliminere, slike overskridelser, hvor det endelige målet er å skape bedre samspillsprosjekter. For å kunne undersøke dette, har oppgaven som mål å besvare på følgende spørsmål: 1. Hvilke faktorer forårsaker kostnadsoverskridelser i bygg- og anleggsprosjekter? 2. Hvilke betydning har kontraktstrategien, kommunikasjon og kostnadsstyringen for kostnadsoverskridelsene i prosjektene? 3. Hva burde inkluderes slik at entreprenørene i samspillsgruppen kan redusere kostnadsoverskridelsene til fremtidige prosjekter? For å besvare forskningsspørsmålene har det blitt gjennomført litteraturstudie, dokumentstudiet, og to semistrukturerte intervjuer. Det er utført to casestudier, hvor de kvalitative intervjuene har bidratt til den største delen av empirien til oppgaven. Litteraturstudie ble gjennomført for å undersøke eksisterende teori som omhandler samspill og kostnadsoverskridelser, hvor formålene var å skape et grunnlag for oppgaven, muliggjøre en sammenligning mellom funn fra casestudiene og eksisterende teori, og for å tilegne seg mer kunnskap rundt forskningsområdet. Hensikten med oppgaven er å undersøke hvordan overskridelser oppstår, og hvordan man kan redusere det. Som følge av dette kan man få til et bedre samspill blant entreprenørene. Resultatene fra intervjuene og litteraturstudiene viser at tekniske forhold slik som konflikt ved tverrfaglige løsninger, svakheter i kontraktsgrunnlaget, omfangsendringer, usikkerhet og utilstrekkelig estimeringsmetodikk var betydelige årsaker for overskridelsene. Kognitive forhold slik som ubevist overoptimisme og insentivene til å utføre prosjekter, hvor man bevisst vet at det kan oppstå kostnader som avviker fra estimeringen, var også med på å forårsake overskridelser. Videre var det tydelig at det var et «informasjonsgap» mellom entreprenørene, ved at data og informasjon ikke ble formidlet godt nok eller at motparten ikke fikk med seg informasjonen. Mangelen på klarhet forårsaket misforståelser blant samspillsgruppen. Av den grunn var ineffektiv kommunikasjon og utydelig informasjonsformidling med på å forårsake kostnadsoverskridelser. Casestudiene tilfredsstiller flere samspillselementer som er nødvendig for at et samspillsprosjekt skal kunne fungere, slik som workshop, teambuilding, samlokalisering osv. Likevel opplever prosjektene fortsatt overskridelser. For at man skal oppnå de ulike fordelene som litteraturen viser til, burde komponenter slik som målpris, åpen bok og insentiver basert på partnergruppens resultat innføres. Uten disse vil det oppstå mangel på åpenhet i prosjektet, noe som er et av de viktigste forutsetningene for å få til et godt samspill. Åpenhet kan videre være med på å styrke tilliten blant samspillsgruppen. Uten åpenhet og tillit, er det vanskeligere å løse uenigheter og konflikter som gir overskridelser. Det er også mulig å tro at komponentene ville vært med på å øke samarbeidsforholdet blant gruppen, ved at man blir forpliktet til å kommunisere mer sammen. Slik kan man sikre at «informasjonsgapet» fylles blant entreprenørene. Videre kan implementeringen av en felles kommunikasjons- og informasjonsdatabase være med på å forebygge problemstillingen. Databasen vil håndtere lagringen og loggføringen av informasjonen, slik at informasjonen alltid er tilgjengelig blant gruppen. Ved å øke graden av muntlig og skriftlig kommunikasjon, kan man forebygge utydelig informasjon, avklare misforståelser, og sikre seg bedre informasjonsflyt. Selv om det har blitt analysert casestudier i oppgaven, og presentert anbefalinger til fremtidige prosjekter, er det likevel noen svakheter med oppgavens forskning. Det er kun analysert et begrenset utvalg av prosjekter. Av den grunn er det ikke gitt at funnene i oppgaven kan være representative for en hel prosjektportefølje. Til tross for dette har informantene bestått av nøkkelpersoner, noe som har gjort det mulig å fremskaffe data av høy kvalitet og validitet. Dette er likevel en svakhet, ettersom det ikke har blitt benyttet triangulering av perspektiver. Dette gjør at man får ensidig rapportering, noe som kan gi data som kan lede til bias. Til syvende og sist har oppgaven samlet inn verdifull og relevant data, noe som kan benyttes videre i erfaringsoverføringen.Project partnering is more common, developed and standardized in other countries around the world. On the other hand, in Norway, the phenomenon is relatively new. The lack of an agreed definition and a Norwegian standardized method has led to confusion related to what partnering involves. As a result, such projects have been characterized by a lack of transparency, cost overruns and low trust between the participants. Exceeding costs are highlighted as one of many problems in the Norwegian construction industry. The literature claims that cost overruns can be reduced if cooperation between the parties is improved. This motivated the development of the following topic: What causes cost overruns in projects where contractors collaborate, and what can reduce such overruns? The novelty of this thesis is to find measures that can prevent, if not eliminate, such overruns, where the goal is to create better partnering projects. To investigate this, the thesis aims to answer the following questions: 1. What are the factors that cause cost overruns in construction projects? 2. What significance does the contract strategy, communication and cost management have for the cost overruns in the projects? 3. What measures should be included so that the partners in the organization can reduce the cost overruns for future projects? To answer the research questions, a literature study, document study, and two semi-structured interviews have been conducted. The qualitative interviews have contributed to the largest part of the empirical data for the thesis. The literature study was conducted to investigate the theory related to partnering and cost overruns, where it was desirable to create a basis for the thesis, to enable the comparison between findings from the case studies and theory, and to acquire more knowledge about the research field. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how cost overrun occurs and how to reduce these issues. As a result of this, one can get better cooperation among the contractors. The results from the interviews and literature studies show that technical circumstances such as conflict over interdisciplinary solutions, deficiencies in the contract basis, scope changes, uncertainty and inadequate estimation methodology were significant reasons for cost overruns. Cognitive factors such as unconscious over-optimism and the incentives to carry out projects, where it was deliberately known that costs could deviate from the estimate, are also contributed to causing overruns. Furthermore, it was clear that there was an "information gap" between the contractors, as the data and the information were not communicated well enough, or that the other party did not receive the information. The lack of clarity caused misunderstandings among the partnering organization. For this reason, inefficient communication and unclear dissemination of information contributed to cost overruns. The case studies satisfy several partnering elements that are necessary for a partnering project to work, such as workshops, team building, co-location, etc. Nevertheless, the projects still experienced overruns. To achieve the various benefits that the literature refers to, components such as target price, open book and incentives based on the organization result, should be introduced. Without these components, there will be a lack of transparency in the project, which is essential for good partnering. Transparency will also help to strengthen trust in the organization. Without transparency and trust, resolving disagreements and conflicts could be more challenging, which may result in more cost overruns. It is also possible to believe that these components could help to develop the relationship in the organization, as the group is obliged to communicate more together. This could ensure that the "information gap" is prevented among the contractors. Furthermore, the implementation of a common communication and information database would also be able to prevent the issue. The database would handle the storage and logging of the information so that it is consistently would be available for the group. By increasing the degree of oral and written communication, one can prevent unclear information, clarify misunderstandings, and ensure a better flow of information. Even though the thesis has analyzed case studies, and presented recommendations for future projects, there are still some weaknesses with the research. This thesis only analyzed a limited selection of projects. For this reason, it is not a given that the findings in the thesis can be representative of an entire project portfolio. Despite this, the informants have consisted of key personnel, which has made it possible to obtain data of high quality and validity. However, this is also a weakness, as triangulation of perspectives has not been used. This means that one retrieves one-sided reporting, which can give data that can lead to bias. Ultimately, the thesis has collected valuable and relevant data, which can be used for further studies