The Social Embeddedness of Transactions: Evidence from the Residential Real-Estate Industry

Information and communications technologies (ICT) are becoming pervasive in the residential real-estate industry and their usage is affecting the work lives of real-estate agents. Drawing on data from a regional study of the residential real-estate industry in the United States, we focus on the disintermediation or, more accurately, the reintermediation of real-estate agents in the sales process. Using data collected from interviews, direct observation, and archival records, we examine how real-estate agents are (1) taking advantage of new ICT in their work, and (2) protecting themselves from others wishing to displace their position in the real-estate value chain. Our analysis of this activity draws on two contrasting theoretical perspectives to illuminate the roles of residential real-estate agents: transaction cost and social capital. The results of this study provide insights into the ways in which ICT are used to build and draw on the social relationships that underpin the actual transactions, to help guide the process of buying/selling a house, and to invoke expertise as needed.     

探素硅谷创新文化的6个奥秘

硅谷不只是地图上的一点,还是象征创新精神的“极客”圣地。硅谷的“创业血液”源于惠普（HP）的位置——帕罗奥图（PaloAlto）。马克·扎克伯格把脸书（Facebook）从他哈佛大学的宿舍搬到硅谷;史蒂夫·乔布斯在这里长大……那么,硅谷缘何取得如此的成功？它怎样运用外在的因素为其所用？请看关于硅谷的6个文化秘密!     

The associations of selected technical parameters with discus throwing performance: A cross-sectional study

The aim of this study was to identify associations between discus throwing performance and the technical parameters of: hip–shoulder and shoulder–arm separation, trunk forward–backward tilt, and throwing-arm elevation angles. Video data of male and female discus throwers' competitive performances were captured during major competitions. Real-life three-dimensional coordinates of 21 body landmarks, and the discus's centre, were obtained for 94 trials using the direct linear transformation procedure. Each technical parameter was reduced at six critical instants. The trend of each parameter across four standards of performance was analysed separately for both sexes. For the female throwers, hip–shoulder and shoulder–arm separations after the flight phase, as well as forward–backward trunk tilts at the beginning and end of the throwing procedure were associated with performance. For male throwers, only the hip–shoulder separation immediately before the flight phase was associated with performance. These findings suggest that the relationships between technical parameters and discus throwing performance are different for males and females. Our results suggest that elite female discus throwers are reliant on effective technique throughout the throwing procedure to achieve long distances, whereas male discus throwers may have a relatively homogeneous technique, and a dependence on physical strength to achieve their long throws.     

Influence of shaft length on golf driving performance

The aim of this study was to determine how shaft length affects golf driving performance. A range of drivers with lengths between 1.168 m and 1.270 m, representing lengths close to the 1.219 m limit imposed by R&;A Rules Limited (2008 R&;A Rules Limited. 2008. Rules of golf, St. Andrews: R&;A Rules Limited, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.  [Google Scholar]), were assembled and evaluated. Clubhead and ball launch conditions and drive distance and accuracy were determined for seven category 1 golfers (handicaps 0.21 ± 2.41) who performed shots on a purpose-built practice hole. As shaft length increased from 1.168 m to 1.270 m, initial ball velocity increased (+1.8 m/s, P < 0.01). Ball carry (+4.3 m, P = 0.152) also increased, although not significantly so. Furthermore, as shaft length increased, for all club comparisons there was no decrease in accuracy. Ball launch conditions of spin components and launch angle remained unaffected by shaft length. Launch angle increased (0.8°, F = 1.074, P = 0.362) as driver shaft length increased. Our results show that clubhead and ball velocity together with ball carry tended to increase with no loss of accuracy.     

Carnival in the Curriculum

This article focuses on a carnival in the curriculum project designed to revitalise the arts in the experience of students in Higher Education preparing to become primary school teachers. It argues the relevance of a combined arts or trans‐disciplinary artform in the remit of a visual arts education journal and explores carnival as a complex, inclusive, multifaceted and multidimensional cultural practice with deep historical and social roots. It locates carnival within theory and the debate about the arts in schools in the UK from the early 1980s. Drawing on the analysis of interviews with students and teachers in carnival project schools, issues and themes such as student involvement, creativity, artists in schools, and cross‐curricular learning are explored, concluding that carnival in the curriculum provides an opportunity for agency within the regulated official curriculum.     

Inflation of comparator stimuli following CS training

Water-deprived rats served in seven conditioned lick suppression experiments designed to assess the effects on responding to a target CS of a series of unsignaled USs given in the training context following completion of CS training. Such treatment has been hypothesized to increase (inflate) the associative strength of the background cues from training (putatively, the CS’s comparator stimuli), thereby reducing responding to excitatory CSs and increasing the inhibitory potential of inhibitory CSs. Although posttraining extinction (deflation) of the CS’s comparator stimuli usually decreases inhibitory potential and increases excitatory potential of the target CS, posttraining inflation of the comparator stimuli had no effect on either excitatory responding to the target CS or summation test performance indicative of conditioned inhibition. This outcome was consistently obtained across a number of training, inflation, and test conditions selected to maximize sensitivity to any possible effects of comparator inflation. Implications of these null results for the comparator hypothesis of conditionedresponse generationare discussed.     

Design observations for interagency collaboration

We present 14 design observations for public safety networks (PSNs) and describe how they may apply more broadly to a wider range of inter-organizational systems within the public sector. A PSN is an interagency collaboration focused on developing and using information systems in support of information sharing and functional interoperability among public safety organizations engaged in law enforcement, criminal justice, and emergency response. We base our design observations upon an analysis of an extensive survey of 80 PSNs plus 6 in-depth case studies. The design observations identify commonalities that can guide agencies participating in interagency collaborations in addressing the interlocking issues they face. Our goal in presenting this set of design observations is to: (1) encourage improved PSN systems design and (2) draw attention to the importance of jointly addressing governance and technological considerations when designing PSNs.