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En pleine guerre d'Algérie, Alger à l'heure de la torture. Pour un gala organisé par l'armée, trois Paras, trois tortionnaires ont monté un spectacle où ils jouent des clowns. Déguisés, grimés, cocasses, ils sont sur scène à répéter une dernière fois avant le lever du rideau. Mais voici qu'un de leurs camarades leur amène un Algérien soupçonné d'avoir déposé une bombe dans un lieu public. Il faut à tout prix le faire parler. On monte sur scène « Gégène », la magnéto. Mais sous l'emprise du spectacle des clowns et des costumes qu'ils n'ont pas le temps de quitter, les professionnels de la torture n'arrivent plus à mener l'interrogatoire de la manière prévue.At the height of the Algerian War, French army units turn to torture in response to the new urban guerrilla tactics of the rebels in the capital, Algiers. But daily life goes on. For a gala evening of entertainment offered to civic leaders and the upper echelons of the French army, three soldiers, specialists in enhanced interrogation, have proposed a series of clown skits. The curtain rises on their dress rehearsal before the evening's performance. Suddenly, the rehearsal is interrupted. An Algerian has been arrested, suspected of having planted a bomb primed to explode later the same evening. With no time to leave the theater or even remove their clown costumes, he must be made to talk. But on stage, in those circumstances, the interrogation takes unfores

PurposeTo minimize customer churn, many service providers offer consumers the option of automatic contract renewal at the end of a contract period. Such agreements are known as rollover service contracts (RSCs). This research quantifies the effect of RSCs and other related factors, such as incentives, on consumers' service choice decisions.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts choice-based conjoint analysis to assess the effect of RSCs on consumers' choices and to determine whether effect size varies when selecting a cell phone network or gym/leisure club provider, which represent lower-priced utilitarian and higher-priced hedonic services.FindingsIt was found that RSCs produce negative perceptions and intended behaviors for the majority of consumers across different product types. Nevertheless, as explained by social exchange theory, many individuals may be persuaded to enter into a RSC on the basis of reciprocity if they are offered an incentive such as a price discount or free product add-on.Originality/valueIn the marketing domain, this is the first comprehensive study to quantify the role of contract type among a range of other factors in consumers' decision-making when selecting a service. The authors' results offer context-specific implications for service marketers. First, RSCs are perceived more negatively in high-priced hedonistic categories, especially among those with lower incomes. Second, price discounts are more effective than product add-ons for motivating hedonic purchases, while product add-ons work better with utilitarian services.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the rate difference required to persuade Islamic banking customers to switch to conventional banks. Design/methodology/approach A choice-based conjoint analysis survey was administered to 300 UAE Islamic banking customers. Customer utilities for Islamic and conventional banks, products and prices were developed to test hypotheses while a market simulation estimated the impact of rate changes on choice shares. Findings Overall, Muslim customers of Islamic banks strongly preferred Islamic banks and products. However, 43 percent were willing to switch to conventional banks to obtain better rates. Indeed, the share choosing conventional banks rose from 25 percent when rates were the same to 68 percent when conventional products offered 2 percent better rates. Research limitations/implications This research requires replication and extension in appropriate contexts such as Malaysia and Indonesia. Moreover, the existence of price sensitivity tiers implies underlying benefit segments that should be studied. Practical implications As so many Islamic banking customers would switch to conventional banks for better rates, it seems that conventional banks compete with Islamic banks for most clients. Islamic banks should price accordingly. Originality/value This is the first study to quantify the loyalty of Islamic banking customers in terms of price and, consequently, the first to demonstrate the existence of price sensitivity tiers. It is also the first in this field to apply conjoint analysis and market modeling.

Background The aim of this study was to report on the validity of the Naviswiss handheld image-free navigation device for accurate intraoperative measurement of THA component positioning, in comparison with the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) images as the gold standard. Methods A series of patients presenting to a single-surgeon clinic with end-stage hip osteoarthritis received primary hip arthroplasty with the anterolateral muscle-sparing surgical approach in the supine position. Imageless navigation was applied during the procedure with bone-mounted trackers applied to the greater trochanter and ASIS. Patients underwent routine CT scans before and after surgery and these were analyzed by using three-dimensional reconstruction to generate cup orientation, offset and leg length changes, which were compared to the intraoperative measurements provided by the navigation system. Estimates of agreement between the intraoperative and image-derived measurements were assessed with and without correction for bias and declared cases with potential measurement issues. Results The mean difference between intraoperative and postoperative CT measurements was within 2° for angular measurements and 2 mm for leg length. Absolute differences for the two indices were between 5° and 4 mm. Mean bias was 1.9°–3.6° underestimation for cup orientation and up to 2 mm overestimation for leg length change, but absolute thresholds of 10° and 10 mm were not exceeded by 95% limits of agreement (LOA), especially after correction for bias. Four cases (12%) were declared intraoperatively for issues with fixation on the greater trochanter. Inclusion of these cases generated acceptable accuracy overall and their omission failed to improve between-case variability in accuracy or LOA for both offset and leg length. Conclusions The accuracy of the Naviswiss system applied during primary THA in a supine position and anterolateral surgical approach falls within clinically acceptable recommendations for acetabular cup placement, femoral offset, and length. With refinements to surgical technique to adapt to the navigation hardware, the system could be further improved with regression-based bias correction. Trial registration Registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618000317291)

IntroductionOptimal outcomes in total hip arthroplasty (THA) are dependent on appropriate placement of femoral and acetabular components, with technological advances providing a platform for guiding component placement to reduce the risk of malpositioned components during surgery. This study will validate the intraoperative data captured using a handheld imageless THA navigation system against postoperative measurements of acetabular inclination, acetabular version, leg length and femoral offset on CT radiographs.Methods and analysisThis is a prospective observational cohort study conducted within a single-centre, single-surgeon private practice. Data will be collected for 35 consecutive patients (>18 years) undergoing elective THA surgery, from the research registry established at the surgeon’s practice. The primary outcome is the agreement between intraoperative component positioning data captured by the navigation system compared with postoperative measurements using CT. A total of ten CT scans will be reassessed for interobserver and intraobserver reliability. The influence of patient and surgical factors on the accuracy of component position will also be examined with multivariable linear regression.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval for this study was provided through a certified ethics committee (Bellberry HREC approval number 2017-07-499). The results of this study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.Trial RegistrationAustralian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) Trial ID: ACTRN12620000089932.

Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee is a common injury occurring mostly in young athletic individuals taking part in pivoting, cutting and jumping sports. It is demonstrated by anterolateral rotatory instability on clinical testing. As yet there are no clear guidelines as to whom will benefit from surgical reconstruction as opposed to rehabilitation alone, apart from elite athletes (defined as varsity players or those participating in sport at national or international level). Also, some adolescent knees and those with combined injuries, usually meniscal tears, may benefit from surgery. Even after surgery there is an increased incidence of rerupture and the development of degenerative changes in the operated knee, particularly in the young athlete who has returned to a high level of sporting activity. Early diagnosis is essential to provide a focused care pathway and to avoid the consequences of chronic cruciate insufficiency.Currently, it seems that too many anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions may be undertaken where rehabilitation alone would have sufficed. Better preoperative clinical testing including improved arthrometric assessment, muscle and neurological testing and imaging including radiology and MRI may help refine the diagnosis, thus enabling a better decision on further management. There is also a requirement for better designed clinical studies reporting on the outcomes of treatment be it either surgical or conservative.

Background Myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a common, long-term condition characterised by post-exertional malaise, often with fatigue that is not significantly relieved by rest. ME/CFS has no confirmed diagnostic test or effective treatment and we lack knowledge of its causes. Identification of genes and cellular processes whose disruption adds to ME/CFS risk is a necessary first step towards development of effective therapy. Methods Here we describe DecodeME, an ongoing study co-produced by people with lived experience of ME/CFS and scientists. Together we designed the study and obtained funding and are now recruiting up to 25,000 people in the UK with a clinical diagnosis of ME/CFS. Those eligible for the study are at least 16 years old, pass international study criteria, and lack any alternative diagnoses that can result in chronic fatigue. These will include 5,000 people whose ME/CFS diagnosis was a consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Questionnaires are completed online or on paper. Participants’ saliva DNA samples are acquired by post, which improves participation by more severely-affected individuals. Digital marketing and social media approaches resulted in 29,000 people with ME/CFS in the UK pre-registering their interest in participating. We will perform a genome-wide association study, comparing participants’ genotypes with those from UK Biobank as controls. This should generate hypotheses regarding the genes, mechanisms and cell types contributing to ME/CFS disease aetiology. Discussion The DecodeME study has been reviewed and given a favourable opinion by the North West – Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee (21/NW/0169). Relevant documents will be available online ( www.decodeme.org.uk ). Genetic data will be disseminated as associated variants and genomic intervals, and as summary statistics. Results will be reported on the DecodeME website and via open access publications.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to explain how leading firms can profitably serve poor consumers by targeting the urban bottom of the pyramid (BOP) with appropriate marketing practices.Design methodology approach - The approach taken is an integrative analysis of existing literature and new cases.Findings - The urban BOP market is more profitable for large firms than the rural BOP due to its density of wealth, proximity, homogeneity and modernity. While recommended tactics for BOP marketing like rock bottom pricing, innovative products and sachets never produced market leaders, multilevel channels and inclusive pricing led to dramatic BOP sales growth for respected middle-class products.Research limitations implications - Theoretically, this research demonstrates that the urban-rural divide is a good starting point for the development of context-contingent strategies because successful urban BOP marketing practices were very different to those recommended for the rural BOP. It also makes a useful contribution to the question, \"Do the poor pay more?\" by demonstrating that the answer varies both with the category and the shopping occasion. Moreover, transaction cost theory prevailed: the key success factor for firms with leading products and brands was to find or develop appropriate intermediaries.Practical implications - Firms with successful middle-class products and brands should target the urban BOP. Others need not apply. Inclusive pricing and appropriate channels, especially multilevel marketing, can multiply sales and margins.Originality value - Recent criticism of the BOP proposition leads managers to believe that they must either serve the rural BOP at a loss or abandon the BOP altogether. This research demonstrates that firms can serve the very poor very profitably by targeting the urban BOP.

En pleine guerre d'Algérie, Alger à l'heure de la torture. Pour un gala organisé par l'armée, trois Paras, trois tortionnaires ont monté un spectacle où ils jouent des clowns. Déguisés, grimés, cocasses, ils sont sur scène à répéter une dernière fois avant le lever du rideau. Mais voici qu'un de leurs camarades leur amène un Algérien soupçonné d'avoir déposé une bombe dans un lieu public. Il faut à tout prix le faire parler. On monte sur scène « Gégène », la magnéto. Mais sous l'emprise du spectacle des clowns et des costumes qu'ils n'ont pas le temps de quitter, les professionnels de la torture n'arrivent plus à mener l'interrogatoire de la manière prévue. At the height of the Algerian War, French army units turn to torture in response to the new urban guerrilla tactics of the rebels in the capital, Algiers. But daily life goes on. For a gala evening of entertainment offered to civic leaders and the upper echelons of the French army, three soldiers, specialists in enhanced interrogation, have proposed a series of clown skits. The curtain rises on their dress rehearsal before the evening's performance. Suddenly, the rehearsal is interrupted. An Algerian has been arrested, suspected of having planted a bomb primed to explode later the same evening. With no time to leave the theater or even remove their clown costumes, he must be made to talk. But on stage, in those circumstances, the interrogation takes unfores