Assessing the Performance of the Price Cap Plan for Local Exchange Carriers in the United States

In 1991 the FCC implemented a price cap plan for local exchange carriers' interstate access service designed to deal with the regulatory boundaries problem arising from the breakup of AT&T in 1984. The experience with the price cap plan demonstrates the difficulty of predicting productivity growth accurately and makes clear that regulators cannot depend upon a pure price cap plan to keep prices within a reasonable range of costs. With periodic reviews to readjust plan parameters, however, a price cap plan can maintain the rate-of-return close to the target rate-of-return without diminishing the price cap plan's incentives for efficient production. A simple method of recalculating the X-factor based on the rate-of-return over the previous three years worked well in simulations. If this procedure had been used over the price cap period 1991 to 2000, prices would have been 20 percent lower and expenditures on LECs' telecommunications service subject to a price cap would have been $3.8 billion lower.     

Maltreatment and Family Dysfunction in Childhood and the Subsequent Adjustment of Children and Adults

The adjustment problems associated with sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, neglect, and witnessing family violence during childhood were examined in three studies. Study 1 demonstrated significant overlap between maltreatment types in parent reports (N = 50) of maltreatment experiences of their child aged 5–12 years. Parental sexual punitiveness, traditionality, family adaptability and family cohesion significantly predicted scores on 4 maltreatment scales and children's externalizing behavior problems. Level of maltreatment predicted internalizing, externalizing, and sexual behavior problems. In Study 2, significant overlap was found between adults' retrospective reports (N = 138) of all 5 types of maltreating behaviors. Parental sexual punitiveness, traditionality, family adaptability, and family cohesion during childhood predicted the level of maltreatment and current psychopathology. Although child maltreatment scores predicted psychopathology, childhood family variables were better predictors of adjustment. Study 3 demonstrated that child maltreatment scores predicted positive aspects of adult adaptive functioning (N = 95).     

A Rich Vision of Technology Transfer Technology Value Management

This paper considers technology transfer from a holistic perspective, defining and integrating all essential elements. Technology, technology ownership, and technology transfer are defined to enable practical management of the value of technology as an organizational asset. Concepts from value-chain movement of technology in commercial product development are used to develop a complete, detailed vision of technology transfer across corporate boundaries. Lessons enable development of a productive technology-transfer function that will speed evolution of technology to product and enable creation of new wealth.     

外国刑法中犯罪成立要件的实质化

罪刑法定主义应当是形式与实质的统一,以此为基础的犯罪概念和犯罪成立要件也必然具有形式与实质的内容。不同法系的国家实现犯罪成立要件实质化的途径各有千秋。     

Criticizing the image of the student as consumer: examining legal trends and administrative responses in the US and UK1

There is widespread concern that higher education is being compromised by being turned into a ‘commodity’ to be ‘consumed’. This article represents an initial attempt to explore the trends in both the UK and US, and considers how the law has responded to them. It argues, however, that there is an important distinction to be drawn between ‘commodification’ and ‘consumerism’. Education has always been a commodity to be bought and sold; the true danger lies in the move to a ‘rights-based’ culture where students (and politicians) see education merely as something to be ‘consumed’ rather than as an activity in which to participate. Whilst the law seems thus far to have been something of a bulwark against this movement, it remains an open question as to whether this will continue to be the case if HEIs do not themselves act more proactively in challenging this damaging view of higher education.     

Der Vollzug des Antarktis-Schutzes in Deutschland

Weit weg und mittlerweile doch sehr nah liegt die Antarktis, wenn es um Klima- und Umweltschutz geht. Forschung und Tourismus strapazieren den au?ergew?hnlichen Naturraum. Der Beitrag zeigt auf, mit welchen Steuerungsans?tzen Deutschland seinen Verpflichtungen zum Antarktisschutz gerecht werden will. Ausgehend von einigen Informationen über den 6. Kontinent (A.) werden die unterschiedlichen Interessenkonflikte rund um Nutzung und Schutz der Antarktis illustriert (B.). Im Anschluss daran wird der zugeh?rige internationale und nationale Rechtsrahmen kurz vorgestellt (C.), ehe verschiedene Facetten des deutschen Ausführungsgesetzes n?her beleuchtet werden (D.). Flankierend wird neben dem Ordnungsrecht eine gute fachliche Praxis in Form eines Leitfadens als Element nichtrechtlicher Steuerung genutzt (E.). Der Beitrag schlie?t mit Fazit und Ausblick (F.).     

关于治理商业贿赂的若干问题

本文分析了商业贿赂的概念和主要特点,阐述了治理商业贿赂专项工作应予明确的目标、原则和重点,并对查处商业贿赂案件需要准确把握的法律政策界限,商业贿赂犯罪刑事立法的完善以及执法机关在建立健全防治商业贿赂长效机制中的作用进行了探讨。     

Race and Ethnicity: Responsible Use from Epidemiological and Public Health Perspectives

While the concepts of race and ethnicity have been abused historically, they are potentially invaluable in epidemiology and public health. Epidemiology relies upon variables that help differentiate populations by health status, thereby refining public health and health care policy, and offering insights for medical science. Race and ethnicity are powerful tools for doing this. The prerequisite for their responsible use is a society committed to reducing inequalities and inequities in health status. When this condition is met, it is irresponsible not to utilize these concepts.