The RM-ODP is a reference model that provides a coordinating framework for Open Distributed Processing standards, and offers a well-defined and comprehensive set of concepts and functions for the specification of ODP systems. Some years after its release as International Standard, an ISO Study Group will evaluate the need for a revision of RM-ODP, a customary process for ISO standards. The goal...

Scientific disputes about public health issues can become emotional battlefields marked by strong emotions like anger, contempt, and disgust. Contemporary work in moral psychology demonstrates that each of these emotions is a reaction to a specific type of moral violation. Applying this work to harm reduction debates, specifically the use of smokeless tobacco to reduce harm from tobacco use, we...

In this issue of PLOS Pathogens, we are introducing a new front matter series to allow individual scientists from the many fields that encompass our community of editors, authors, and readers to comment on why the fundamental research in their labs, and that of their collaborators, matters. The genesis of this idea comes from the apparent gulf between working scientists and the general public t...

BACKGROUND Ultrasonography (US) plays a crucial role in the diagnostic management of thyroid nodules, but its widespread use in clinical practice might generate heterogeneity in ultrasound reports. OBJECTIVES The aims of the study were to propose (a) a standardized lexicon for description of thyroid nodules in order to reduce US reports of interobserver variability and (b) a US classification...

This paper establishes if using a comment card provides a reliable form of feedback regarding customer satisfaction in hotels. This exploratory study was conducted at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel-Dubai, UAE. They are a convenient way for guests to complain, make suggestions and praise. Managers use this input to make quick fixes and comfort distraught guests. The trouble is that hotels depend on co...