Law, Economics, Accountancy & Risk

We report on the growth and functional characterization of epitaxial thin films of the multiferroic YMnO 3 . We show that using Pt as a seed layer on SrTiO 3 (111) substrates, epitaxial YMnO 3 films (0001) textured are obtained. An atomic force microscope has been used to polarize electric domains revealing the ferroelectric nature of the film. When a Permalloy layer is grown on top of the YMnO 3 (0001) film, clear indications of exchange bias and enhanced coercivity are observed at low temperature.

In recent years, there has been a trend towards the negotiation of closer contractual relationships between employers and employment agencies. However, little is known about this change or its likely consequences. In theory, such relationships can benefit employers by lowering fees and also reducing many of the hidden costs associated with the use of agency staff by improving the effectiveness of placement matching. Against this is the suggestion that formal partnerships are unlikely to have a positive impact given the uncertainty of demand for temporary labour and broader tendencies for risk displacement in buyer-supplier networks. In this article, our aim is to explore this matter focusing on recent developments in the UK's National Health Service. We find that new contractual relationships such as framework agreements and master vendor contracts are having mixed effects. While they serve to reduce direct costs for employers in the short term, this has been at the expense of relationship building and improvements in placement matching. These developments are also found to have some potentially negative consequences for the agency workforce itself.

This paper provides a critical macro-level evaluation of the influential Sapir report, through the lens of examining the Irish experience. Our assessment of the performance of the Irish economy depicts a picture of catch-up and convergence with average EU productivity and GNP levels, rather than a miracle. In so doing, we attempt to provide a more balanced appraisal of how Ireland managed to get things 'right' in some sense in recent years whilst also recognising on-going challenges for the economy and the vulnerability caused by FDI-dependent growth. The Sapir report was right to identify administrative capacity and a favourable investment environment (including education systems) as a precondition for strong economic performance, along with a stable macroeconomic environment. However, we argue that corporatist social pacts, an opportunistic exchange rate policy and a high rate of inmigration (and the more general expansion of the labour supply) have also contributed to Irish success, along with substantial EU structural assistance which has provided the basis for a much-needed fiscal adjustment and for investment in the physical infrastructure. Moreover, Sapir's analysis is superficial, we would suggest, in that a key 'lesson' from Ireland's recent economic history is that simply attracting FDI is not enough to generate spillovers. Irish policymakers have recognised this and have shifted policy away from a focus purely on attracting FDI towards a more sophisticated industrial policy that has; (i) attempted to provide 'aftercare' to upgrade foreign plants and to situate foreign plants within the broader economy and to improve linkages; and (ii) fostered domestic entrepreneurial activity. This leads into a second 'lesson' in that policy evaluation is a key requirement in the successful development of the 'administrative capacity'. A proper assessment of the dividends growth across different actors is critical in evaluating policy. This would point to the need for a 'public interest' evaluation of policy, as suggested by .

The worldwide expansion in the use of private firms to deliver public services and infrastructure has promoted a substantial literature on public sector contract and relationship management. This literature is currently dominated by the notion that supplier relationships should be based upon trust. Less prominent are more sceptical approaches that emphasize the need to assiduously manage potential supplier exploitation and opportunism. This article addresses this imbalance by focusing upon the recent experience of the English National Health Service (NHS) in its dealings with its nursing agencies. Between 1997 and 2001, the NHS was subjected to considerable exploitation and opportunism. This forced managers to adopt a supply strategy based upon an assiduous use of e-auctions, framework agreements and quality audits. The article assesses the effectiveness of this strategy and reflects upon whether a more defensive approach to contract and relationship management offers a viable alternative to one based upon trust.

The transverse Meissner effect (TME) in the highly layered superconductor $Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+y}$ with columnar defects is investigated by transport measurements. We present detailed evidence for the persistence of the Bose glass phase for $H_{\perp}<H_{\perp c}$ : (i) the variable-range vortex hopping process for low currents crosses over to the half-loops regime for high currents; (ii) in both regimes near $H_{\perp c}$

Using micro-bridge technique, we have studied the vortex dynamics in a very low temperature region (i.e. T/Tc -> 0) of the B-T phase diagram of Bi_2Sr_2Ca_1Cu_2O_{8+\delta} single crystal. We distinguish two types of vortex dynamics near the depinning threshold depending on the magnitude of the vortex-vortex interactions. For 0.01 <= \mu_0H <= 1T, we show that current-voltage characteristics (I-V) are

Civil society, the international community and a broad part of academia have identified ways in which the media makes a considerable contribution to discrimination via the production and reproduction of demeaning stereotypical depictions. Examples can be found in tabloid reports, images, widely available racist and sexist advertising and programming. This research suggests calling such a phenomenon 'discrimination through expressive means', DEM. The law has been hesitant to act on these issues. Very often this is because, in the light of other fundamental rights, including the freedom and pluralism of the media, it has been deemed inappropriate to address these questions. The main objectives of the paper are to: a) justify that DEM is a problem; b) locate DEM within a broader framework of discrimination; c) describe the way in which DEM as a problem has been dealt with and by whom; and d) determine what the role of antidiscrimination law could be in the redress of DEM.

Civil society, the international community and a broad part of academia have identified ways in which the media makes a considerable contribution to discrimination via the production and reproduction of demeaning stereotypical depictions. Examples can be found in tabloid reports, images, widely available racist and sexist advertising and programming. This research suggests calling such a phenomenon 'discrimination through expressive means', DEM. The law has been hesitant to act on these issues. Very often this is because, in the light of other fundamental rights, including the freedom and pluralism of the media, it has been deemed inappropriate to address these questions. The main objectives of the paper are to: a) justify that DEM is a problem; b) locate DEM within a broader framework of discrimination; c) describe the way in which DEM as a problem has been dealt with and by whom; and d) determine what the role of antidiscrimination law could be in the redress of DEM.

It is pre fe ra ble on the who le for po wer to re main con ve niently in vi si ble, dis se mi na ted throug hout the tex tu re of so cial li fe and thus "na tu ra li zed" as cus tom, ha bit, spon ta neous prac tice. Once po wer na kedly re veals its hand, it can be co me an ob ject of po li ti cal con tes ta tion. 1 SUMARIO: I. Intro duc ción. II. De si gual dad y opresión. III. Ideo lo gía y po der. IV. Aná li sis es truc tu ral, cul tu ral, ins ti tu cio nal y per so nal de la pro duc ción y re pro duc ción de la dis cri mi na ción. V. A ma ne ra de conclu sión.VI. Bi blio gra fía.

Civil society, the international community and a broad part of academia have identified ways in which the media makes a considerable contribution to discrimination via the production and reproduction of demeaning stereotypical depictions. Examples can be found in tabloid reports, images, widely available racist and sexist advertising and programming. This research suggests calling such a phenomenon 'discrimination through expressive means', DEM. The law has been hesitant to act on these issues. Very often this is because, in the light of other fundamental rights, including the freedom and pluralism of the media, it has been deemed inappropriate to address these questions. The main objectives of the paper are to: a) justify that DEM is a problem; b) locate DEM within a broader framework of discrimination; c) describe the way in which DEM as a problem has been dealt with and by whom; and d) determine what the role of antidiscrimination law could be in the redress of DEM.

Si bien la libertad de expresión es de todos en abstracto, la verdad es que sólo algunos pueden hacer uso efectivo de ella, y esto no es solamente por medios económicos y materiales como los de los medios masivos de comunicación sino también ideológicos, de ser parte de la “mayoría”. Estar en desventaja nos silencia, rehusarse a gritar “puto” en un partido de fútbol, o no reírse de chistes sexistas nos hace parecer aguafiestas, exageradas, etc. Defender puntos de vista contra-hegemónicos es siempre difícil, nos hace perder beneficios y en ocasiones nos somete a burla y escarnio.
Es entonces condición de una verdadera libertad de expresión el garantizar que argumentos que refuten y cuestionen las expresiones de odio y discriminatorias sean promovidos, emitidos y escuchados en un plano de igualdad, con respaldo institucional y legal y sin temor al escarnio, sólo así podremos abandonar las simples prohibiciones. Sólo así, sólo entonces.

Civil society, the international community and a broad part of academia have identified ways in which the media makes a considerable contribution to discrimination via the production and reproduction of demeaning stereotypical depictions. Examples can be found in tabloid reports, images, widely available racist and sexist advertising and programming. This research suggests calling such a phenomenon 'discrimination through expressive means', DEM. The law has been hesitant to act on these issues. Very often this is because, in the light of other fundamental rights, including the freedom and pluralism of the media, it has been deemed inappropriate to address these questions. The main objectives of the paper are to: a) justify that DEM is a problem; b) locate DEM within a broader framework of discrimination; c) describe the way in which DEM as a problem has been dealt with and by whom; and d) determine what the role of anti‐ discrimination law could be in the redress of DEM. The paper is a part of a PhD thesis that aims to find out what the weaknesses and potential of anti‐discrimination law are in addressing discrimination through expressive means, DEM. This is to say, what could be the role of the law in challenging the printed and audiovisual production and reproduction of images and messages that use demeaning stereotypes, ridicule and denigrate people on the grounds of their membership to a disadvantaged group. One of the most important aspects of this research is that it seeks a dialogue with the various disciplines that have explored the causes and consequences of discrimination. Moreover, the research points out the need for an interdisciplinary methodology in order to understand discrimination as a systemic problem and to develop the necessary strategies for its redress.