TQM-ing OMB: Or Why Regulatory Review Under Executive Order 12,291 Works Poorly and What President Clinton Should Do About It

Reflections are presented on how Pres Clinton should improve the deeply troubled relationship between the OMB and other government agencies. No president would dream of abolishing review of agency actions by the OMB

Alien Structure and Themes from Analytic Philosophy

We think of the world as consisting of objects, with properties and standing in relations. There are, to be sure, different views on what objects etc. there are, and on what their natures are. And some theorists want to subtract some elements from this picture. For example, the ontological nihilist says that there are no objects. But still, the view described is very much orthodoxy—so much orthodoxy that one may need to be reminded that the view that the world consists of objects, with properties and standing in relations is, precisely, a view. I here investigate the possibility that this view is false: that there is what may be called alien structure. And I investigate the relationship between alien structure and some important themes from the history of analytic philosophy

Variance Theses in Ontology and Metaethics

The chapter illustrates conceptual engineering by bringing up a number of issues in metaontology and metaethics. A prominent debate in metaontology relates to whether some existence concept is metaphysically privileged. On the one hand, ontological realists say yes, and, on the other hand, friends of quantifier variance say no. The chapter brings up the corresponding question in metaethics by asking, is some rightness concept normatively privileged? It investigates this question, and compares the metaethics case and the metaontology case. One aim is to arrive at conclusions regarding possible limits to the project of conceptual engineering.</p

Thickness and Evaluation

This is a review essay devoted to Pekka Väyrynen’s The Lewd, the Rude and the Nasty. Väyrynen’s book, concerned with thick terms and thick concepts, argues for a pragmatic view on the evaluativeness associated with these terms and concepts. The essay raises a number of critical questions regarding what Väyrynen’s arguments for his view actually show. It deals with, for example, thick properties, the fact-value distinction, what it is for terms and concepts to be (semantically) evaluative, and whether Väyrynen’s arguments generalize to thin evaluative concepts

Cadmium in newborns

Cadmium (Cd) is a well-known nephrotoxic environmental contaminant but there are indications that the developing nervous system might be even more sensitive to Cd than the kidneys in adults. Infants are exposed to Cd from various formulas and infant diets and the gastrointestinal Cd uptake is believed to be higher in newborns than in adults. Cd levels monitored in infant foods ranged between 0.74 and 27.0 µg/kg. Cow's milk formulas had the lowest levels and cereal-based formulas had up to 21 times higher mean levels. The mean weekly Cd exposure from the recommended formula intake was calculated to vary between 0.10 and 3.05 µg/kg body weight. Rat pups received an oral dose of 109Cd in water or four different formulas. The whole-body Cd retention was higher in the pups than previously reported in adult animals and highest in the water and in the cow's milk formula groups. The small intestinal Cd retention was high, even 9 days after exposure indicating a long absorption period in the newborns. Cd levels in kidney increased still 12 days after exposure in all diet groups. Piglets received low daily doses of Cd in water or wheat/oat/milk-based follow-up formula. The formula reduced Cd uptake in comparison to water, but the distribution of Cd to the kidneys was unexpectedly higher when Cd was given in formula than in water. Simulated infant digestion of infant foods resulted in lower solubility of Cd compared to adult digestion. In a human Caco-2 cell model, cellular Cd uptake and transport from five different infant food digests was approximately one order of magnitude lower than the solubility and varied between 4-6 % and 1-2 % of the dose, respectively. Binding of Cd to dietary fibres and phytic acid reduces intestinal Cd retention and probably explains the lower Cd bioavailability from cereal-based formulas compared to water or cow's milk formula. The exposure of Cd is higher from infant formulas than from breast milk and age-specific digestion conditions as well as composition of diets affect both the Cd solubility and bioavailability. The calculated Cd intake from recommended amount of infant formulas is below the established provisional tolerable weekly intake, which however, does not include a safety factor and is based on renal effects in adults

Factors that Impact Blockchain Scalability

Blockchain systems (more precisely Distributed Ledger Technologies(DLTs)) represent a different digital ecosystem compared with traditional computer systems. One major difference are the performance and scalability factors which will be discussed and analytically investigated in this paper. Indoing so, we provide guidance for defining a research agenda focusing on the investigation of the crucial role of scalability for DLT systems. System performance - measured in terms of (1) consensus response time (blockchain network latency or time to convergence/agreement); (2) number of transactionsper second or throughput, and (3) computing (and power) resources consumed - can be understood by considering the design dimensions of a DLT system, namely: (i) the type of DLT system needed from a requirements perspectivewhich in turn determines; (ii) the complexity of the consensus protocol used; (iii) the topography of the anticipated traffic flow on the network; (iv) the performance and complexity of the domain-specific language that implementssmart contracts; and (v) by the anticipated growth in size and complexity of the distributed ledger itself.Blockchain systems (more precisely Distributed Ledger Technologies(DLTs)) represent a different digital ecosystem compared with traditional computer systems. One major difference are the performance and scalability factors which will be discussed and analytically investigated in this paper. Indoing so, we provide guidance for defining a research agenda focusing on the investigation of the crucial role of scalability for DLT systems. System performance - measured in terms of (1) consensus response time (blockchain network latency or time to convergence/agreement); (2) number of transactionsper second or throughput, and (3) computing (and power) resources consumed - can be understood by considering the design dimensions of a DLT system, namely: (i) the type of DLT system needed from a requirements perspectivewhich in turn determines; (ii) the complexity of the consensus protocol used; (iii) the topography of the anticipated traffic flow on the network; (iv) the performance and complexity of the domain-specific language that implementssmart contracts; and (v) by the anticipated growth in size and complexity of the distributed ledger itself

Q-theory of Investment and Earnings Retentions-Evidence from Scandinavia

In a frictionless milieu retentions should have no impact on investment behavior. However, empirical studies typically find that retentions are an important determinant of investment. Managerial discretion and financial constraints are two alternative explanations that have been suggested. This paper uses a panel of listed Scandinavian firms to examine the importance of retentions as a determinant of investment. Measures of Tobin’s Q, marginal q and sales accelerator are used to control for investment opportunities. Scandinavian firms are found to depend on retentions to a high degree, more so than in other developed economies. This high dependence on retentions suggests that the Scandinavian capital markets are suffering from allocational inefficiencies. Moreover, these market frictions appear too large to per se be caused by information asymmetries or managerial discretion phenomena. Possible institutional explanations are suggested.investment; liquidity; retained earnings; free cash flow; Tobin’s Q; marginal q;