Is Italian science declining?

The paper analyses the Italian contribution to the world scientific production, its relative citation impact, its international collaborations and scientific productivity compared with the most productive EU countries over the period 1980–2009. It shows that despite the fact that the level of funding has been dramatically low during the past decades, Italian science has been able to increase its performance up to 2007. Italian science is a “cathedral in the desert”. However, a recent reduction in the level of scientific production, the lagging behind in international scientific collaboration (highly correlated with the relative citation impact) and the great heterogeneity of researchers’ productivity (absence of correlation of number of researchers with quality and quantity of scientific production) may mark the start of a decline of Italian science. The paper concludes that the increased funding must go hand-in-hand with reform of autonomy and governance and calling for a sound system of internal quality control and performance enhancement.     

Is graphite lithiophobic or lithiophilic?

Graphite and lithium metal are two classic anode materials and their composite has shown promising performance for rechargeable batteries. However, it is generally accepted that Li metal wets graphite poorly, causing its spreading and infiltration difficult. Here we show that graphite can either appear superlithiophilic or lithiophobic, depending on the local redox potential. By comparing the wetting performance of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite, porous carbon paper (PCP), lithiated PCP and graphite powder, we demonstrate that the surface contaminants that pin the contact-line motion and cause contact-angle hysteresis have their own electrochemical-stability windows. The surface contaminants can be either removed or reinforced in a time-dependent manner, depending on whether the reducing agents (C₆→LiC₆) or the oxidizing agents (air, moisture) dominate in the ambient environment, leading to bifurcating dynamics of either superfast or superslow wetting. Our findings enable new fabrication technology for Li–graphite composite with a controllable Li-metal/graphite ratio and present great promise for the mass production of Li-based anodes for use in high-energy-density batteries.     

Is there an ethics of algorithms?

We argue that some algorithms are value-laden, and that two or more persons who accept different value-judgments may have a rational reason to design such algorithms differently. We exemplify our claim by discussing a set of algorithms used in medical image analysis: In these algorithms it is often necessary to set certain thresholds for whether e.g. a cell should count as diseased or not, and the chosen threshold will partly depend on the software designer’s preference between avoiding false positives and false negatives. This preference ultimately depends on a number of value-judgments. In the last section of the paper we discuss some general principles for dealing with ethical issues in algorithm-design.     

Is it distinctively wrong to simulate doing wrong?

This paper is concerned with whether there is a moral difference between simulating wrongdoing and consuming non-simulatory representations of wrongdoing. I argue that simulating wrongdoing is (as such) a pro tanto wrong whose wrongness does not tarnish other cases of consuming representations of wrongdoing. While simulating wrongdoing (as such) constitutes a disrespectful act, consuming representations of wrongdoing (as such) does not. I aim to motivate this view in part by bringing a number of intuitive moral judgements into reflective equilibrium, and in part by describing the case of a character that I call The Devious Super Geek who simulates wrong to particular people that he knows personally. I build bridging cases from the case of the Devious Super Geek to capture games in which one simulates wrong to imaginary members of extant, morally salient categories. The surprising conclusions that we are led to include not just that simulated wrongdoing is pro tanto wrong, but that simulated Just killing is pro tanto wrong, and also that the simulated killing of zombies and aliens is also pro tanto wrong. Finally, I describe how I propose to handle some potential objections and attempt to weigh the pro tanto wrong identified in the paper against some countervailing considerations in some all things considered judgements.     

Health-related information seeking: Is it worth it?

In spite of often compelling reasons for why people should seek information, they persistently engage in lower levels of it than might be expected, at times seeking no information at all. The idealized model reflecting dogged persistence, pursuing rational search strategies, until a high-quality answer is found is often assumed in the design of information systems. However, many people confronted with health problems engage in avoidance and denial, making a health care system dependent on proactivity problematic. This essay explores six conditions, the idealized model, avoidance, bewilderment, serendipity, ignorance is bliss, and indolence, that arise from low and high effort strategies when typed by good, contingent, and bad health outcomes. Since a substantial proportion of the population does not act in accordance with our assumptions, it may be time for policy makers, system designers and researchers to revisit their approaches to facilitating health-related information seeking.     

Battle of the Sexes on E-Mail-Or Is It?

Few studies have attempted to link e-mail use to power and politics. The purpose of this article is to offer some initial evidence and analysis of e-mail's role in organizational power and politics. To frame the discussion, the article reviews the relevant writings on power and politics. The review is concluded with a theoretical critique that suggests that contextual and, particularly, temporal aspects should be incorporated into research on power and politics in organizations. To demonstrate how an analysis based on temporal aspects can be undertaken, a case study that outlines the use of e-mail for power and politics in a university is presented. The discussion and conclusions sections synthesize the analysis by demonstrating that what was interpreted by many organization members at the early stages of the conflict as a ''battle of the sexes'' can be seen (and, indeed, was interpreted by many organization members at the later stages of the conflict) as an elaborate exercise in misinformation created by top management to further its political objectives. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications from this case to e-mail research and practice.     

Is there an association of allergy and cardiovascular disease?

Cardiovascular diseases and allergic diseases occur commonly in developed countries. They lead to serious health complications and significantly impair the quality of life. Both types of diseases are characterized by excessive inflammatory processes. Recent studies suggest a link between allergy and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, resulting from overactivity of the immune system in allergic diseases and increased synthesis of proinflammatory mediators, which has been well documented in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The aim of this article is to present current data on the role of proinflammatory factors in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases and allergies and on potential relationship between these disorders.     

Is knowledge management losing ground? Developments among Icelandic SMEs

This paper presents findings from a survey on knowledge management (KM) in small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in Iceland conducted in 2007 and was a follow-up of a similar survey from 2004. The paper analyses whether the extent, strategy and effects of KM in SMEs in Iceland has changed in the period. The main conclusion is that KM is not losing ground among SMEs in Iceland. Identical numbers of firms used KM in 2004 and 2007, and slightly more firms were examining the need in 2007 than 3 years earlier. It is, however, of great concern that many more firms have no KM strategy in 2007 than 2004. More managers in SMEs need to consider the strengths and weakness of KM, and to implement a formal KM strategy. Only 24% of Icelandic firms have a KM programme in place, and most of them have invested in simple information and communication technologies. The most common way of sharing tacit knowledge in Icelandic firms is encouraging face-to-face communication. The surveys indicate that benefits of KM programmes are quite positive even in SMEs. Accordingly, the research findings indicate that KM could improve organisational and managerial as well as financial aspects of SMEs. This research was carried out in only one country, and is based on a questionnaire. Its results should therefore be interpreted with care.     

Is small actually big? The chaos of technological change

In this paper, we develop themes from complexity and chaos theory that help to explain the technological change process. We apply two quantifiers, correlation dimensions and Lyapunov exponents, to examine the signs and degrees of chaotic technological dynamics. To illustrate our ideas, we study the development of electronic displays from 1976 to 2010, using patent data. The results of the chaos model are matched against the profiles of patent citations. Our analysis contributes to the development of a chaotic model of technological change.     

Is the repugnance about betting on terrorist attacks misguided?

Prediction markets designed to predict terrorism through traders’ investments on the likelihood of specific terrorist attacks are, strictly speaking, enabling those traders to bet on terrorism. Betting on terrorist attacks, like some other forms of betting on death, has been accused of being repugnant. In this paper, it is argued that while government-backed effective intelligence-gathering prediction markets on terrorism (PMsoT) might elicit feelings of repugnance, those feelings are likely to be misguided. The feelings of repugnance arise because PMsoT are assumed to be associated with terrorism in encouraging and endorsing ways and with human death in a disrespectful way. However, it is argued that these feelings of repugnance are misguided in the case of government-backed effective intelligence-gathering PMsoT because the purpose and effect of such prediction markets, and (on balance) the trading they encourage, is to prevent and renounce terrorism and show respect for matters of life and death.     

Is there something wrong with intellectual capital management models?

During the recent years the intellectual capital (IC) literature has produced tens of models to support the various IC management (ICM) activities, such as identification, measurement, valuation, acquisition and reporting IC. However, the practice of applying these models seems to be a fairly new issue in many organisations. The gap between research and practice (i.e. not many organisations seem to be applying ICM models) may result from several issues. This paper approaches the gap from two perspectives. First, the paper questions the applicability of ICM models. Second, although IC as a research theme is quite immature many management models that also include some of the aspects of IC have been developed within general management disciplines. Thus, this study examines whether traditional management models may also be suitable for ICM. The two questions are answered by using four single cases in which action research projects were carried out.