Has the erosion of the medical marketplace ended?

This paper updates tests of the validity of three models of medical price inflation: a standard model, in which changes in demand press against inelastic supply; a dynamic version of the standard model, in which high levels of insurance induce high rates of product innovation and development; and a model of increasing inefficiency, in which consumers have weak incentives to search out efficient suppliers. Earlier statistical support for the third model has weakened, which provides some evidence that the regulatory and competitive initiatives of the last decade are having their intended effects. But time series measures of medical prices upon which the statistical evidence relies have important methodological problems, so other types of evidence are useful. Trends in expenditure in other countries and in HMOs suggest that the most important explanation of medical price inflation is the dynamic version of the standard model, although the other models have some validity as well.     

Early and late adopters of ISO 14001-type standards: revisiting the role of firm characteristics and capabilities

Environmental management standards (EMS) are important voluntary management tools that aim at reducing the environmental impact of firms’ activities. From ethical motivations through increasingly high pressure from regulatory authorities to expected financial returns, reasons to adopt an EMS are manifold. While they all certainly matter, it is still unclear from the literature which firm-specific organisational capabilities and structural characteristics significantly drive adoption. Using Propensity Score Matching (PSM) on two samples of French firms, we identify firm-specific factors associated with the early or late adoption of ISO 14001-type EMS and we test whether adoption increases labour productivity. We find that adopters are moderately large manufacturing firms that rely on ISO 9001 standards or Total Quality Management. In addition, according to the first sample, early adopters tend to be more technologically complex firms that are active in the European market. These differences are attenuated in the second sample, which may be biased towards more innovative firms. Both samples however concur with the conclusion that, whether early or late, adoption is associated with a higher labour productivity compared to non-adoption. This result still holds when we use fully interacted linear models instead of PSM, and seems to be consistent over time. Thus, implementing EMS might provide win–win opportunities to adopters, without giving any premium to “early birds”.     

Custodial Sovereignty: Reconciling Sovereignty and Global Environmental Challenges amongst the Vestiges of Colonialism

Netherlands International Law Review -     

The medical review officer: a potential role for the medical examiner

Drug use in the workplace is a problem, both in terms of public health and expense. Workplace drug testing programs serve as deterrents to drug use. Model programs, such as that of the Department of Transportation, use urine screening and are federally regulated or follow federal standards. An essential participant in this process is the medical review officer (MRO), a licensed physician who interprets the laboratory results generated from a workplace drug testing program. As a result of their training and experience with toxicology, collection of evidence, testimony, and recognition of the physical signs of drug abuse, medical examiners and forensic pathologists are well suited to serve as MROs. Recent regulations require the completion of training courses and MRO certification as prerequisites for participation in federal drug testing programs. Several courses are available to train physicians to participate as MROs.     

论我国公安学基础理论的学科地位和研究意义

2011年3月8日,由中国人民公安大学主导论证的公安学和公安技术同时被国务院学术委员会、教育部批准增设为一级学科,这在我国公安教育史上是一件可喜可贺的大事、盛事,具有开创性的里程碑意义。为了加强公安学一级学科的建设,我们必须高度重视公安学基础理论研究。俗话说:基础不牢,地动山摇,对公安学整个学科建设来说,公安学基础理论是所有公安学科的基础和基石,公安学基础理论研究得如何直接决定着公安学其他学科建设的成败。因此,研究公安学基础理论具有非常深远的理论价值和实践意义。     

主权的比较视野:宪政在英国和美国

在此次纪念詹姆斯·麦迪逊演讲中,上议院议长,欧文·莱尔格勋爵评述了美国宪法至上和司法审查体制与英国不成文宪法强调无司法审查的议会主权具有许多共同之处。尽管这两个体系经常被认为是极端对立的,欧文勋爵指出其实二者都是在民主政治的背景下运作,且殊途同归,区分并联系着     

现代主权理论与主权切割方法在国际服务贸易主权分析中的应用——以跨国高等教育服务贸易为例

针对当前国际服务贸易中的主权理论失语困境,本文引进了国际法权威约翰·H·杰克逊的现代主权理论和主权切割分析方法,以跨国高等教育服务为例,阐释如何以新的视角分析和解决国际服务贸易中的主权问题。该视角的核心是打破对主权的整体论或分层论思维定势,建立基于具体事项的权力分配思维。具体来说,就是把主权视为一组在实践中运用的、具有可切割性的权力,讨论贸易国家之间就每一具体事项在法律和实践层面所形成的权力程度的分配,而不是权力种类的分配。     

'Trade mark use' in Europe: revisiting Arsenal in the light of Opel and Picasso

Legal context: The European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision in the case ofArsenal Football Club v. Reed led to uncertainty regarding thepractical scope of a trade mark proprietor's property rights. Key points: The uncertainty resulted from a failure of the ECJ to addressclearly the issue of what constitutes infringing trade markuse. The ECJ ignored the question of the High Court as to whetheruse of a trade mark as an indication of origin is necessaryfor establishing infringement. They instead established an ambiguousstandard for what constitutes infringing trade mark use, suggestingthat only use that jeopardises the essential function of a trademark is an infringing use. This ambiguity has had problematicimplications for subsequent interpretations of trade mark law,particularly in the Court of Appeal in Arsenal and the Houseof Lords in R v Johnstone. Two relatively new ECJ cases may help clarify the issue. InOPEL, the ECJ suggested that infringing use of a trade markmust be use that is perceived by the relevant public as a designationof origin. The Picasso decision limits the effect of the Arsenaldecision on the relevance of confusion in non-sale situationsto the facts of Arsenal. In particular, it stresses the pointthat when assessing likelihood of confusion in the context ofan opposition to an application for registration the court shouldfocus on the perception of the relevant public at the pointof sale. Practical significance: The benefit of these two cases is that they create some clarityfor legal practitioners and the Courts when addressing the questionof what constitutes infringing trade mark use.     

Social capital and innovation in a life science cluster: the role of proximity and family involvement

The Journal of Technology Transfer - This paper investigates the effect of different typologies of a firm’s relationships on innovation performance. Existing literature tends to emphasise the...     

主权在民:源流与反思

主权在民原则系宪法之首要原则。主权在民原则经历了由国家主权、政治主权、议会主权到人民主权的发展过程。主权在民原则既是近代宪法的逻辑起点,又指导着宪法具体制度的建立。主权在民原则在历史上发挥了巨大的作用,但也应当厘清、识别和深刻反思主权在民在宪政成长过程中的作用与局限。     

加强公安信息建设发挥科技强警作用

公安工作的现代化,必须走科技强誓之路.建立信息中心要以公安信息网建设为基础,以公安业务信息共享为目标,向科技要誓力.加强信息中心建设,发挥科技强警作用.     

加强公安信息建设发挥科技强警作用

公安工作的现代化，必须走科技强警之路。建立信息中心要以公安信息网建设为基础，以公安业务信息共享为目标，向科技要警力。加强信息中心建设，发挥科技强警作用。