INDUSTRY-UNIVERSITY TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN MICROELECTRONICS

Federal, state and local governments have encouraged university-industry cooperation in recent years through a number of different policies and programs. Industry has increasingly been looking to universities for new ideas, closer collaboration and more timely access to research results. Various levels of government have become increasingly involved in joint funding with industry in new university-industry research centers and institutes. State and local governments spend considerable effort to attract high-technology industry, using university-industry collaborative programs as one incentive. Yet despite the theoretical and policy importance of this topic, it has received little systematic research attention.
This contribution reports the results of a National Science Foundation-funded study investigating technology transfer in microelectronics between Arizona State University located in the Phoenix metropolitan area and surrounding microelectronics firms. The results describe state and local initiatives influencing such technology transfer, how the initial technology transfer contact comes about, how research goals, topics and activities are decided upon, and how resources and funding support is secured. In addition satisfaction from, benefits and costs of, as well as attitudes bout technology transfer are reported.     

The loyal editor effect: Russian online journalism after independence

This article investigates what effect pressure from owners – via loyal editors – had on journalistic output at the popular Russian online newspapers Lenta and Gazeta. Using novel methods to analyze a data-set of nearly 1 million articles from the period 2010–2015, this article separates the effect of a changing news agenda from new editorial priorities. Statistical tests show that changes in output coincide temporally with editorial change, and that the direction of change sees new editors move away from publication patterns associated with other independent outlets. In both Gazeta and Lenta, editorial changes were accompanied by a move away from core news areas such as domestic and international politics, toward lifestyle and human interest subjects. The loyal editor effect resulted in a 50% reduction in coverage of controversial legal proceedings, together with the business dealings of Russian elites.     

Comparison of the Plexor HY System, Quantifiler and Quantifiler Duo kits using the Roche LightCycler 480 System and the ABI 7900 real time PCR instrument

In this study, we used two real time PCR platforms (Roche LightCycler 480 System and the ABI 7900 real time PCR instrument) to compare three commercial kits for DNA quantification. Special emphasis was put on PCR efficiency, detection limit and detection range. Furthermore, we tested the influence of the calibrator DNA included in the different kits on the absolute values. 40 artificial stain samples as well as 40 reference saliva samples were tested and compared. Two main observations could be made: the kits had a strong influence on the amount of DNA determined (Quantifiler^® < Quantifiler Duo^® < Plexor^® kit) whereas the real time PCR platforms showed no significant influence on the outcome.     

What Is the Hidden Figure of Delinquency in Girls? Scaling Up From Police Charges to Self-Reports

Research on males shows discrepancies between official records and self-reports of delinquency, thus creating a scaling-up factor. Comparable information for girls is still needed. We investigated discrepancies (scaling up factors) from official records to self-reports in a large sample of girls between ages 12 and 17 (N = 2,450). On average there were three self-reported juvenile female offenders for every individual charged by the police, and for every police charge there were four offenses that were committed. The scaling-up factor was highest in early adolescence, indicating that female offenders at a young age were more likely to stay undetected by the police. The scaling-up factor was significantly lower for African American than white girls: a higher proportion of African American delinquent girls were charged by the police. Racial differences in scaling up were significant only for prevalence, not for frequency of offending. Knowledge about scaling-up factors is important for the design and implementation of intervention programs. We discuss racial differences, implications for justice administration, and practical implications for intervention science.     

Der schweizerische Bundesstaat von 1848 bis 1874: Mehrheits‐ oder Konsensusdemokratie?

This paper examines the question of whether the Swiss democracy was already a strong consensus democracy in the first period after the foundation of the confederation in 1848. To answer this question, the study makes use of the concept of Arend Lijphart ( 2012 ) with the distinction between majoritarian and consensus democracy. Based on literature and document analysis, Lijphart's indicators were coded for the Swiss State of 1848–1874. Results show that, on Lijphart's democracy map, the political system of young Switzerland is located close to the position of the USA. Consistent with expectations, this is especially true concerning the horizontal division of power.     

A STR mutation in a heteropaternal twin case.

A heteropaternal male twin case with two men being alleged fathers was investigated as requested by the Court. Up to 37 PCR-based polymorphic DNA systems were studied in this case which was complicated by a paternal ACTBP2 mutation detected in one twin. This is the first report on a STR mutation in a double paternity case where both biological fathers were indisputably identified. The STR systems enable the resolution of these complex genetic relationships even in a case where a mutation in one STR locus was encountered.     

“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose” – what about code and law?

Law and information technology are interlinked. Since Lessig's “code is law” the discussions address the viability of law in technology markets. But recently, the direction of view has changed by way of conversion; in the context of smart contracts, the notion “law is code” became prevalent. The contribution looks into the interdependencies between law and code and pleads for a new functional understanding of law.     

Physical Restraint and Near Death of a Psychiatric Patient

Physical restraint is used as a last resort emergency measure to calm and safeguard agitated and/or aggressive psychiatric patients. This can sometimes cause injuries, and rare fatalities have occurred. One mechanism of injury and death while in physical restraint is that of severe asphyxiation. We present the case of a hospitalized man in his mid‐30s, suffering from schizophrenia. The patient was obese. He became aggressive and had to be manually restrained with a “takedown.” After having been put in the prone position on the floor with a significant weight load on his body, he lost respiration and consciousness. Subsequently, he was given CPR. He regained consciousness and respiration, while the cyanosis receded in 1–2 min. Psychiatrists and pathologists should be aware that physically restraining a patient in the prone position with a significant weight load on the torso can, in rare cases, lead to asphyxiation.