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Many biosensors produce single-ended current outputs. Lab-on-chip applications demand parallel readout channels requiring low area current-to-digital converters. High HD2 has limited the current controlled ring oscillator’s (CCROs) adoption as a low area, single-ended converter. This work improves CCRO open loop linearity by 10 dB. A wide-bandwidth current buffer is also designed. A low area (0.0025 mm 2 ), low power ( 357 μW ), single-ended, and 1 MHz bandwidth converter suitable for array readout is presented with the measured performance.

Um foco em comum em muitas teorias modernas da literatura é a reavaliação da perspectiva tradicional do personagem em um texto narrativo. A posição que este artigo defende é que uma concepção revisada é necessária para um entendimento dos meios pelos quais o dialogismo se diz funcionar no discurso romanesco. Revisar a noção de dialogismo, no entanto, não envolve descartá-la por completo, como teorias recentes do assunto nos fariam descartar. Também não podemos simplesmente anulá-la em relação a todo conteúdo “psicológico” como sugerido por muitas propostas estruturalistas. Para manter o conceito de Bakhtin da noção de personagem, nós devemos entender o termo “psicológico” no contexto do seu livro sobre Freud. Ao combinar artificialmente as observações isoladas de Bakhtin sobre o personagem literário, chegamos à perspectiva que postula fontes vocais textualizadas no romance. Em tal esquema, uma máxima variabilidade e liberdade é proporcionada para cada fonte separadamente. No entanto, devemos usar o termo “separadamente” com extremo cuidado, pois, nos escritos de Bakhtin, todos aqueles seres que poderíamos considerar como entidades separadas estão, de fato, intrincadamente entrelaçados e inseparáveis. Considerar algo como absolutamente separado implica conhecer intimamente todos os seus limites e possibilidades. Esta é certamente uma capacidade que Bakhtin nos negaria quando se trata de figuras humanas em textos.

Prior research demonstrates that student learning can be enhanced through self-guided reflection. In particular, promoting students’ metacognition and self-efficacy beliefs requires educators to provide students with opportunities to ‘be confused’, ask questions of themselves and build the resilience fundamental to their future professional lives. However, students cannot be expected to learn to learn; they must be taught how to learn. Additionally, they need to be assisted in identifying what learning strategies are available to them. Having outlined the rationale behind strategies such as student-led learning and student-driven assessment, this paper presents an analysis of student reflections, module evaluations and exam marks, and a comparison of final exam marks before and after a method known as freedom to fail (F2F) was introduced. It was found that the introduction of this approach led to a greater student awareness of learning strategies and improved results.

This paper considers the use of value capture (VC) as a means of financing public-private partnerships (PPPs) in the United Kingdom (UK). Although some VC techniques are used in the UK, they are employed more widely in the United States of America. After considering the traditional approach to financing UK PPPs, this paper describes the main VC finance instruments. The findings of a series of case studies are then presented and conclusions drawn. While VC financing may prove unpopular with those bearing the cost of infrastructure improvements, it is recommended that such instruments are considered by UK policy makers.

Resenha

Roy Plomley was the calmest man I’ve ever met. Nothing rattled him. ‘Have a drink, dear boy’, he’d say, ‘I think the sun’s over the yardarm.’ He represented a certain kind of England that seems virtually to have disappeared, an England of manners and understatement where the game’s the thing and it might be more gracious to lose than to win—and possibly more interesting. He was no conformist, however. He never signed a contract with the BBC for more than two months at a time. Very quietly, he was something of a subversive. I think those famous questions he came up with, about loneliness, survival, the music, the chosen book and luxury, are impossible to answer without giving yourself away. Roy’s island provides acres of lush sandy space to present yourself as you wish the world to see you, an unlimited supply of creeper to swing adroitly from palm to palm or maybe just to hang yourself....

Le comité éditorial d’Arborescences tient à remercier chaleureusement Anthony J. Wall, qui a bien voulu présenter, dans le présent essai, la version écrite et remaniée d’une conférence qu’il a donnée au Département d’études françaises de l’Université de Toronto en mars dernier.L’essai d’Anthony J. Wall se donne à lire comme une agréable et savante exploration de l’oeuvre picturale d’Hubert Robert, une déambulation gracieusement philosophique à travers quelques-unes des nombreuses toiles et représentations qui ont fait la renommée de ce peintre des Lumières. En mettant à profit la notion bakhtinienne de chronotope, le critique s’applique à souligner la puissance des temps et des espaces rendus visibles par l’oeuvre de Robert ; il cherche à rendre compte de « la capacité de ses paysages peints à se transformer en véritables regards philosophiques sur le passage du temps dans l’espace »., Arborescences’ editorial committee wishes to cordially thank Anthony J. Wall, who has accepted to present herewith a revised version of the paper he gave at the University of Toronto’s Department of French Studies conference last March.Anthony J. Wall’s essay reads as an enjoyable and scholarly exploration of Hubert Robert’s pictorial works, a graceful philosophical stroll through a few of the numerous paintings and representations that created the reputation of this Enlightenment painter. Through the use of the Bakhtinian notion of chronotope, the critic underlines the power of time and space as visible through Robert’s oeuvre; he seeks to demonstrate “the ability of his painted landscapes to transform into a true philosophical observation on the passing of time in space.”, El comité editorial de Arborescences quiere agradecerle cordialmente a Anthony J. Wall por haber aceptado presentar una edición revisada de la exposición que dio en la conferencia del departamento de Estudios franceses de la Universidad de Toronto el pasado marzo.El ensayo de Anthony J. Wall se presenta como una exploración agradable y erudita de la obra pictórica de Hubert Robert, un paseo filosófico gracioso a través de las pinturas y numerosas representaciones de las cuales surgió la reputación del pintor de la Ilustración. A través de la noción bakhtiniana de cronotopo, el crítico enfatiza la fuerza del tiempo y del espacio visibles en la obra de Robert; él trata de demostrar « la habilidad de sus paisajes pintados de transformarse en verdaderas miradas filosóficas sobre el pasar del tiempo en el espacio ».

RESUMO Este artigo defende que os princípios dialógicos do discurso são aplicáveis tanto a linguagens verbais como a linguagens icônicas, já que compartilham certas funções, como a importantíssima função metalinguística. O artigo estuda detalhadamente, por uma perspectiva bakhtiniana, uma série de seis pinturas criadas pelo artista holandês do Século XVII Nicolaes Maes (1634-1693). Cada pintura representa poses e gestos diferentes de um bisbilhoteiro, de tal maneira que o analista-observador bakhtiniano é obrigado a ver como a pintura desse tipo curioso combina de maneiras surpreendentes linguagens verbais e visuais. As telas de bisbilhoteiros de Maes concernem à curiosidade, reunindo personagens que poderiam ter preferido permanecer independentes umas das outras. As telas apresentam códigos gestuais, corporais, linguísticos e cromáticos, fazendo o material visual funcionar criativamente e permitindo que cada linguagem se beneficie das vantagens expressivas das outras. Combinam-se aí várias perspectivas para mostrar que as capacidades expressivas de toda linguagem dada são necessariamente mais pobres quando recorrem a um único meio. Uma perspectiva bakhtiniana pode derramar nova luz sobre as pinturas de Nicolaes Maes, ao mesmo tempo em que a análise ilumina novas possibilidades semânticas no pensamento de Bakhtin. ABSTRACT This article claims that the principles of dialogic discourse are applicable to both verbal and iconic languages, because they share certain functions, such as the all-important metalinguistic one. The article studies in detail, from a Bakhtinian perspective, a series of six paintings created by the 17th century Dutch artist, Nicolaes Maes (1634-93). Each painting depicts different poses and gestures of an eavesdropper, in such a manner that the Bakhtinian analyst-viewer is obliged to see how painting of this curious sort combines surprising verbal and visual languages. Maes' eavesdropper paintings concern curiosity, bringing together characters who might have preferred to remain independent of one another. The paintings deploy gestural, bodily, linguistic, and colour codes and make the visual material work creatively, allowing each language to take advantage of the expressive advantages of other languages. Several vantage points combine to show that the expressive capabilities of any given language are necessarily poorer when they rely on a single medium. A Bakhtinian perspective can shed new light on the paintings of Nicolaes Maes, while the analysis illumines new semantic possibilities in the thought of Bakhtin.

This article assesses the implementation of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs) in the United Kingdom public sector. Possible motivations for the move are suggested before presenting the findings of interviews with, and a survey of, key personnel. The primary issues discussed are the rationale, challenges and costs associated with implementing IFRSs. The article concludes that the policy appears to have been implemented against a backdrop of indeterminate benefits and to be a continuation of New Public Management-style reforms with their emphasis on public sector professionalization and the language of accountancy.

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine how Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been affected by the global financial crisis (GFC). After briefly discussing PPPs and the GFC, the paper considers whether the latter has been a contributing factor in the declining number of projects reaching financial close.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs document content analysis to compare the time between notification of a project in the Official Journal of the European Union and its financial close in order to assess whether this period has increased since the beginning of the GFC. Two case studies are also presented.FindingsApart from a very small number of projects, the time between official project notification and financial close is lengthening, with the case studies providing some possible explanations for this.Originality/valueWhilst Burger et al. provide some general statistics on the impact of the GFC on PPPs in a number of countries, this paper examines over 600 PPPs in the UK and supplements this analysis with two case studies, in order to assess whether the GFC has led to delays in projects reaching financial close.

This paper analyses the high school examinations sat by business studies students entering the University of Ulster, in September 2007, and assesses whether the students or the higher education teaching staff are prepared for the challenges ahead. Having looked at arguments for and against the statement that high school examinations are becoming easier, the paper then highlights the most popular subjects taken by the incoming students. Having examined the assessments used it then compares them with those used in the first year of university. Although this analysis shows that not all first year undergraduate students will struggle with the intensity of some of the higher education assessments, there is no doubt that university lecturers have to be prepared to provide greater support to the majority.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the applicability of a number of performance management techniques in the outsourcing process, in a business services context.Design/methodology/approachUsing a structured outsourcing framework, performance management techniques are applied in a financial services organisation over a three‐year period. A case study approach is employed to undertake the research, which involved the research team engaging directly with the organisation throughout the outsourcing process.FindingsApplying performance management techniques in the outsourcing process is challenging in a number of areas including comparison difficulties, incomplete information and inadequate performance management systems. However, benchmarking and cost analysis are useful mechanisms for improving performance, and reducing costs via internal process redesign or outsourcing. Performance management techniques can be employed to remove inefficiencies from processes both prior to outsourcing and during the outsourcing relationship.Research limitations/implicationsThere are a number of limitations of the research approach including gaining full participation from the company, having access to all relevant company information and time constraints.Practical implicationsThe research findings highlight the implications of applying performance management techniques in a practical outsourcing setting. As well as identifying the challenges, the research highlights the value of integrating critical success factors, cost analysis, benchmarking and other performance management techniques into the outsourcing process.Originality/valueThere are few studies in the literature of applying performance management techniques in the outsourcing process at an operation's level. The findings have identified the challenges and benefits of performance management techniques in the outsourcing process. The findings have highlighted the importance of operations management concepts such as performance management, operations strategy, business improvement and process re‐design to services outsourcing, and the need for further research in this area by operations management scholars.

This article considers the development of the Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and contends that it is now deeply embedded and intertwined in policies to renew and modernize the United Kingdom's public services. After briefly reviewing prior research based upon the themes proposed by Broadbent and Laughlin (1999), this article suggests a new research agenda to reflect how the PFI has matured and developed in recent years.

In 1997, New Labour set about the task of reforming public services in the United Kingdom through the use of an ideology that became known as the ‘Third Way’. This research examines the context from which this concept emerged, and explores its relationship with the tools of delivery, with particular reference to the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). The paper begins by reviewing the Third Way, before analysing the arguments for and against PFI. Using an example from the Northern Ireland education sector, the paper argues that the characteristics associated with the Third Way are mirrored in the operational tools of public service delivery, such as PFI. The paper concludes that, within the context of the case study reviewed, there is a ‘consistent pragmatism’ in play in relation to how these delivery initiatives are operated and how they relate to their conceptual underpinnings.

PurposeThis paper seeks to assess the strategic rationale and the effectiveness of government “demarketing” campaigns in the areas of smoking, binge drinking and private car usage.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 257 young people in Northern Ireland was carried out, seeking their opinions on the effectiveness of current demarketing campaigns.FindingsGovernment demarketing initiatives are generally seen as ineffective, except for the banning of smoking in enclosed public places. Punishing disorderly behaviour caused by excess alcohol and making private driving more expensive are thought to achieve a certain degree of effectiveness.Practical implicationsThe UK Government has put considerable effort into demarketing campaigns of this kind, with limited success. The need to rethink strategy and implementation is particularly urgent with regard to drinking behaviour and its consequences, because the government appears to be sending out mixed messages through its communications and its actions. Although continued pressure on smokers appears to be bringing results, the effectiveness of individual initiatives is variable. Lessons may be transferable to other areas of demarketing specifically and social marketing in general.Originality/valueThe paper reports the views of young people, who are the main targets of most campaigns of this nature, and are future smokers, drinkers and drivers if they have not established those behaviour patterns already.

PurposeThe aim of the paper was to investigate entrepreneurship in a university setting and in particular amongst university managers, established academic entrepreneurs and nascent academic entrepreneurs. The purpose was to better understand the enablers and barriers to entrepreneurship taking place.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, sense‐making methodology was used involving a single case method and a purposeful sampling approach. A three‐stage design strategy consisted of: identification of key themes by questioning university policy makers, managers and academic entrepreneurs; development of a questionnaire to profile academic entrepreneurs; and use of the questionnaire to assess preferences amongst nascent academic entrepreneursFindingsFour types of academic entrepreneur (hero, maverick, broker and prospector) were identified based on different approaches by individual academics to the use/production of discipline knowledge and the nature of their relationship with the host university.Research limitations/implicationsThe single case research is perceived as a limitation. Future studies will involve refining the level of analysis in terms of different disciplines and institutions.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that interventions to promote entrepreneurship within universities ought to consider different strategies in order to take account of preferences amongst nascent entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThe paper looks at entrepreneurship in universities from a corporate perspective rather than from an individual perspective. The powerful influence of the university organisational setting is therefore recognised in terms of the creation of enablers and barriers to academic entrepreneurship taking place.

This article compares and contrasts the stage of development reached by the public and private sectors with regard to intellectual capital. Whereas the private sector in many parts of the developed world has still not fully embraced the importance of measuring intangible assets, the public sector, with its different objectives, has always had to focus on non-financial results. This has become more critical in recent years due to successive government initiatives that have required the use of a number of prescribed performance indicators. Having briefly outlined the history of both intellectual capital and the culture of performance measurement this article analyses the results of a survey of public sector organizations in Northern Ireland to assess how they are dealing with both the measurement and management of intellectual capital assets.

PurposeTo compare three demarketing campaigns.Design/methodology/approachThis is a commentary piece which compares three campaigns those aiming to reduce smoking, excessive drinking and the use of the motorcars – undertaken by the United Kingdom government and considers the different approaches being used.FindingsThe article highlights areas where there appears to be a conflict between the particular demarketing campaign and other initiatives.Originality/valueOutlines some of the different approaches that can be employed by government when trying to demarket the use of products or commodities.

Le Bavard de Louis-René des Forêts nous livre le spectacle de celui qui ne dit rien. Ce spectacle doit se comprendre comme un énoncé performatif dont les limites s'étendent bien au-delà de quelques mots ou structures isolés. Si nous étudions la performativité en tant qu'événement, nous voyons, grâce à ce roman, que tout sens se lie en dernière analyse à la mort de l'acteur et de son spectacle. Le texte de des Forêts creuse sous la surface du langage parce qu'il crée du sens à partir de ce qui compose le discours vide d'un bavard. Ainsi voit le jour une série de verbes performatifs d'apparence intolérable: «Je parle», «Je mens» et «Je meurs»., Louis-René des Forêts' novel, le Bavard, is a performance of the act of saying nothing. As a performative utterance extended beyond the limits of isolated words or structures, this novel shows us, through an exploration of the nature of the performance as event, that meaning is ultimately linked to the death of the performer and the performance. This text goes beyond the surface of language by creating meaning with words which constitute idle talk and thus puts into motion some seemingly impossible performatives: "I am speaking", "I am Iying", and "I am dying".

This article investigates the disclosure of key performance indicators in the annual reports of Irish public sector organizations. It begins by discussing the two main driving forces behind public sector bodies disclosing performance information in their annual reports for the first time as well as looking at other contributing factors. The present situation with regard to the disclosure of key performance indicators in the whole of Ireland is then analysed. A number of annual reports from central government departments or agencies, local government bodies, other public sector entities and, in the case of the Republic of Ireland, semi-state organizations are examined to see whether such information is being disclosed and, more importantly, whether performance indicators are being linked to predetermined objectives and targets.

I. Transatlantic Exchanges As we have seen,' French theory is literally on the move-it is still being exported, transported, and transmuted. We've heard various versions of how, and why, French theory is inevitably misunderstood, just as American theory gets jumbled and scrambled up during its own trip across the Atlantic. Much of what "passes" and does not "pass" as French cultural theory (some "travels" well while other parts do not) can be described by a number of spatializing metaphors that turn toward what at first glance might seem a purely spatial phenomenon -"how x passes fromf to a" or "how y passes from a tof." But it is actually a temporal-spatial movement that can be seen and understood in terms of "transit." In other words, what I'm interested in exploring here comprises a certain "chronotopics" of passage, a chronotopics that looks not only at the contexts of production and consumption of French thinking in America (understood as the larger "Americas"), or American thinking in France, but also, at the time and spaces of the passages used to go from one context to another-the transport or transit that must necessarily occur in time and in space in order for x to get to a from for for y to get tof from a. I wish first to read this chronotopics of passage in part with the aid of Walter Benjamin's Passagen-Werk, an excellent model for turning space into sight and sight into space, before turning both space and sight into visible time.

This article examines the state of PFI in the UK following an amendment published by the ASB to FRS 5. It was predicted that this amendment would mean that most properties constructed by the private sector, on behalf of the public sector, would have suddenly to appear on the balance sheets of the latter. This would have led to an unacceptable level of public sector borrowing and could have undermined the entire rationale for the scheme. Having outlined the objectives of PFI and explained the attitude adopted by the ASB, the article examines the reaction of HM Treasury. The article then demonstrates the likely consequences of the main parties in PFI contracts passing on as much risk as possible to the private sector so as to ensure that the assets remain off balance sheet. It concludes by assessing the expected impact that these actions will have on value for money.

In this comparative study, 86 patients with type 2 diabetes and visual impairment were evaluated on their preference for, and ability to operate, three different insulin delivery systems— InnoLet® (NovoNordisk), Humulin® NPH Pen (Eli Lilly) and vial and syringe (Becton Dickinson). Patients found the clocklike dose scale on InnoLet® significantly easier to read than that of the other systems (92% were able to read four doses, versus 45% and 61% with Humulin® Pen and syringe respectively, both p 0.001, respectively). Ability to set and deliver insulin was not however clearly related to visual acuity. On questionnaire, 87% of patients expressed an overall preference for InnoLet®, and 13% for Humulin® Pen (p < 0.001); no patients preferred the syringe. In conclusion, insulin delivery systems designed to simplify accurate, reliable insulin delivery for people with visual impairment can improve the ability of such patients to repeatedly set and deliver the correct insulin dose. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) was launched by the United Kingdom (UK) Government in 1992 in order to encourage the private sector in the UK to become more involved in public sector development projects. Moreover, a key theme of the initiative was that the public should receive ‘value for money’ with respect to such projects. This paper investigates the accounting issue as to whether or not the private or the public sector should record any related property in PFI projects on balance sheet. It argues that although both HM Treasury and the Accounting Standards Board (ASB) might agree on the accounting principles, the practical impact is that in order for related properties to stay off the public sector’s balance sheet, more risk needs to be transferred to the private sector. As a consequence of this, the objective of providing value for money to the public may not be achieved.

This chapter examines how Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have been affected by the global financial crisis (GFC). After briefly discussing PPPs, particularly with reference to risk, the chapter outlines their contribution to the development of worldwide public infrastructure and highlights some initiatives designed to assist projects following the withdrawal of credit. It then analyses the effect the GFC has had on United Kingdom (UK) PPPs by investigating approximately 630 projects to assess whether difficulties in obtaining finance brought about by the crisis has led to a delay in PPPs reaching financial close. The findings confirm that PPPs currently in procurement are finding it more difficult to achieve financial close than pre-GFC projects and that therefore there are fewer PPPs now underway. The chapter concludes by looking at the future of PPPs in the UK following the change of government in 2010.