This paper presents a mathematical model which predicts both the major qualitative features and, within experimental error, the quantitative details of a class of perturbed and unperturbed large-amplitude, voluntary movements performed at intermediate speed by primates. A feature of the mathematical model is that a concise description of the behavioral organization of the movement has been formulated which is separate and distinct from the description of the dynamics of movement execution. Based on observations of voluntary movements in primates, the organization has been described as though the goal were to make the smoothest movement possible under the circumstances, i.e., to minimize the accelerative transients. This has been formalized by using dynamic optimization theory to determine the movement which minimizes the rate of change of acceleration (jerk) of the limb. Based on observations of muscle mechanics, the concept of a "virtual position" determined by the active states of the muscles is rigorously defined as one of the mechanical consequences of the neural commands to the muscles. This provides insight into the mechanics of perturbed and unperturbed movements and is a useful aid in the separation of the descriptions of movement organization and movement execution.


This article explores marriage settlements in national political debate and legal usage in three Swedish towns, c. 1870–1920. During this period one of the central issues for the Swedish women's movement was to abolish the legalized male dominance within marriage. Despite some ambiguities towards marriage settlements, the women's movement tried to encourage women to write up contracts before marriage, as a way to both protect their property and to achieve more power within marriage. Traditionally, marriage settlements were exceptions in Swedish legal practice, but they became somewhat more common during the period under investigation. This development could be explained by the population increase and industrialization, but only partially. The analysis of the initiators, their social background and civil status as well as the change of contents in the marriage settlements are interpreted not only as reflections of economic change, but as evidence of female agency and emancipation.


The main objective of this thesis is to provide effective means for the valuation of popular financial derivative contracts with path-dependence and/or early-exercisable provisions. Starting from the risk-neutral valuation formula, the approach we propose is to sequentially compute convolutions of the value function of the contract at a monitoring date with the transition density between two dates, to provide the value function at the previous monitoring date, until the present date. A rigorous computational algorithm for the convolutions is then developed based on transformations to the Fourier domain. In the first part of the thesis, we deal with arithmetic Asian options, which, due to the growing popularity they enjoy in the financial marketplace, have been researched signicantly over the last two decades. Although few remarkable approaches have been proposed so far, these are restricted to the market assumptions imposed by the standard Black-Scholes-Merton paradigm. Others, although in theory applicable to Levy models, are shown to suffer a non-monotone convergence when implemented numerically. To solve the Asian option pricing problem, we initially propose a flexible framework for independently distributed log-returns on the underlying asset. This allows us to generalize firstly in calculating the price sensitivities. Secondly, we consider an extension to non-Levy stochastic volatility models. We highlight the benefits of the new scheme and, where relevant, benchmark its performance against an analytical approximation, control variate Monte Carlo strategies and existing forward convolution algorithms for the recovery of the density of the underlying average price. In the second part of the thesis, we carry out an analysis on the rapidly growing market of convertible bonds (CBs). Despite the vast amount of research which has been undertaken yet. This is due to the need for proper modelling of the CBs composite payout structure and the multi factor modelling arising in the CB valuation. Given the dimensional capacity of the convolution algorithm, we are now able to introduce a new jump diffusion structural approach in the CB literature, towards more realistic modelling of the default risk, and further include correlated stochastic interest rates. This aims at fixing dimensionality and convergence limitations which previously have been restricting the range of applicability of popular grid- based, lattice and Monte Carlo methods. The convolution scheme further permits flexible handling of real-world CB specications; this allows us to properly model the call policy and investigate its impact on the computed CB prices. We illustrate the performance of the numerical scheme and highlight the effects originated by the inclusion of jumps.


This book provides a sweeping, up-to-date, and boldly critical account of the financial crises that rocked East Asia and other parts of the world beginning with the collapse of the Thai baht in 1997. Retracing the story of Asia's "Crisis Five"--Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand--Padma Desai argues that the region's imprudently fast-paced opening to the free flow of capital was pushed by determined advocates, official and private, in the global economy's U.S.-led developed center. Turmoil ensued in these peripheral economies, the Russian ruble faltered, and Brazil was eventually hit. The inequitable center-periphery relationship also extended to the policy measures that the crisis-swept economies implemented under International Monetary Fund bailouts, which intensified the downturns induced by the panic-driven outflows of short-term capital. Financial Crisis, Contagion, and Containment examines crisis origin and resolution in a comparative perspective by combing empirical evidence from the most robust economies to the least. Why is the U.S. relatively successful at weathering economic ups and downs? Why is Japan stuck in policy paralysis? Why is the European Central Bank unable to achieve both inflation control and stable growth? How can emerging markets avoid turbulence amid free-flowing speculative capital from private lenders of the developed center? Engaging and nontechnical yet deeply insightful, this book appears at a time when the continuing turmoil in Argentina has revived policy debates for avoiding and addressing financial crises in emerging market economies.


When the Supreme Court struck down Colorado's Amendment 2 - which would have nullified all state and local laws protecting gays and lesbians from discrimination - it was widely regarded as a victory for gay rights. Yet many gays and lesbians still risk losing their jobs, custody of their children, and even their liberty under the law. Using the Colorado initiative as his focus, Gerstmann untangles the complex standards and subtle rhetoric the Supreme Court uses to apply the equal protection clause. The Court divides people into legal classes that receive varying levels of protection; gays and lesbians and other groups, such as the elderly and the poor, receive the least. Gerstmann reveals how these standards are used to favour certain groups over others, and also how Amendment 2 advocates used the Court's doctrine to convince voters that gays and lesbians were seeking "special rights" in Colorado. Concluding with a call for wholesale reform of equal-protection jurisprudence, this book should be of interest to anyone interested in fair, coherent, and truly equal protection under the law.


Nemonoxacin (Taigexyn ® ), a novel C-8-methoxy non-fluorinated quinolone, has been approved for use in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in Taiwan (2014) and mainland China (2016). The FDA granted nemonoxacin 'qualified infectious disease product' and 'fast-track' designations for CAP and acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection in December 2013. It possesses a broad spectrum of bactericidal activity against typical and atypical respiratory pathogens. In particular, nemonoxacin has activity against resistant Gram-positive cocci, including penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus . Oral nemonoxacin was compared with oral levofloxacin for efficacy and safety in three randomized, double-blinded, controlled Phase II–III clinical trials for the treatment of CAP. This article will review the microbiological profile of nemonoxacin against respiratory pathogens including S. pneumoniae and S. aureus , and microbiological outcome data from the three Phase II–III studies.


Variations in time series of sum of negative degree-days, number of days with ice, date of ice break-up and maximum ice thickness on the Baltic Sea along the Estonian coast have been examined within context of the atmospheric circulation above the North Atlantic. It was found out that 20 – 50 % of ice conditions along the Estonian coast might be explained by the state of the NAO winter index. However, correlation coefficients between time series of ice conditions and the NAO winter index varies with time; moving correlation coefficient can reach -0.98.


Abstract A method using Eagle Ford organic shale from Texas predicts key unconventional reservoir properties, total organic carbon (TOC), and fracture pressure gradient (FG). Applying petrophysical and rock-physics models from previous work to the available well-log data generates the required logs for calibration, i.e., shear sonic, TOC, organic porosity, and saturation. Prestack seismic data can be evaluated using synthetic forward modeling and can be conditioned further to improve AVO response. Simultaneous prestack inversion to derive acoustic-impedance (AI) and shear-impedance (SI) volumes can be run, and TOC can be derived from those volumes by linear interpolation. Fracture gradient (which also can be thought of as "frackability") is related directly to Poisson9s ratio and effective stress and can be estimated from elastic properties. The fracture gradient is related nonlinearly and inversely to TOC, i.e., assuming laterally and vertically homogeneous pore-pressure distribution inside the spatially limited block of the Eagle Ford Shale, higher TOC results in lower FG and hence better frackability.


Why do some people become addicted while others don't? Family studies that include identical twins, fraternal twins, adoptees, and siblings suggest that as much as half of a person's risk of becoming addicted to nicotine, alcohol, or other drugs depends on his or her genetic makeup. Finding the biological basis for this risk is an important avenue of research for scientists trying to solve the problem of drug addiction.


Mobile eye-tracking can be a powerful tool to help in designing strategies to improve learning in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. The two teenagers studied in our project, both with autism disorders, use less fixation points to look at these scenes and are slower than peers with normal development. After one year of individualized treatment, the teenagers' competencies in eye contact with target points were improved. These preliminary results show that the intervention should take place in ecological conditions and the evaluation using Mobil eye-tracker, something which bypasses language deficits, could be integrated into clinical routines in order to increase generalization.


SETTING
Interventional procedures directed toward sources of pain in the axial and appendicular musculoskeletal system are performed with increasing frequency. Despite the presence of evidence-based guidelines for such procedures, there are wide variations in practice. Case reports of serious complications such as spinal cord infarction or infection from spine injections lack appropriate context and create a misleading view of the risks of appropriately performed interventional pain procedures.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate adverse event rate for interventional spine procedures performed at three academic interventional spine practices.

METHODS
Quality assurance databases at three academic interventional pain management practices that utilize evidence-based guidelines [1] were interrogated for immediate complications from interventional pain procedures. Review of the electronic medical record verified or refuted the occurrence of a complication. Same-day emergency department transfers or visits were also identified by a records search.

RESULTS
Immediate complication data were available for 26,061 consecutive procedures. A radiology practice performed 19,170 epidural steroid (primarily transforaminal), facet, sacroiliac, and trigger point injections (2006-2013). A physiatry practice performed 6,190 spine interventions (2004-2009). A second physiatry practice performed 701 spine procedures (2009-2010). There were no major complications (permanent neurologic deficit or clinically significant bleeding [e.g., epidural hematoma]) with any procedure. Overall complication rate was 1.9% (493/26,061). Vasovagal reactions were the most frequent event (1.1%). Nineteen patients (<0.1%) were transferred to emergency departments for: allergic reactions, chest pain, symptomatic hypertension, and a vasovagal reaction.

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates that interventional pain procedures are safely performed with extremely low immediate adverse event rates when evidence-based guidelines are observed.


Populations of the recently described black oak gallwasp,Zapatella davisaeBuffington (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae), have been identified as the cause of extensive tree damage and mortality to black oaks,Quercus velutina Lamarck (Fagales: Fagaceae), in the northeastern United States. Relatively little is known, however, about the distribution, phylogenetic placement, and lifecycle of this important tree pest. Therefore, we conducted next-generation sequencing using the Ion TorrentTM PGM (ThermoFisher Scientific, Inc.) platform to develop genomic resources for the study of Z. davisae and for other closely related species of oak gall wasps. Individual sequence reads were aligned, assembled into unique contigs, and the contigs were then utilized for the in silico isolation and development of microsatellite markers. In total, we screened 36 candidatemicrosatellite loci, of which 23 amplified consistently (five polymorphic and 18 monomorphic). We then examined whether the polymorphic loci could be used to infer whether populations of Z. davisae from Cape Cod and Nantucket are sexual or asexual by calculating several metrics of genetic diversity that might indicate the mode of reproduction. These included testing for statistical deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) and for linkage disequilibrium (LD), observations for the presence of the Meselson effect, and by calculating the probability that clonal individuals are more prevalent than would be expected in a randomlymating population.Whilewe found significant deviations from HWE and more clonal individuals than expected, our estimates of the Meselson effect were inconclusive due to limited sampling, and we found no evidence of LD. Therefore, the sexual/asexual status of Z. davisae populations remains uncertain.


E-commerce is often perceived as a powerful lever to foster growth of SMEs. However, both the literature and empirical evidence have shown the perils hidden in superficial decision making by SME entrepreneurs. A system dynamics (SD) approach is used in this article to demonstrate how managing processes of accumulation and depletion of strategic assets, detecting inertial effects of decisions made in the past, and selectively acting on policy levers are likely to help entrepreneurs in understanding opportunities and pitfalls related to e-commerce strategies. A feedback analysis of three case studies selected from the literature and the main findings from a survey conducted by the authors on SMEs pursuing e-commerce strategies are discussed. Based on the insights developed through this analysis, the last section of the article shows a generic SD model aimed to help entrepreneurs to better understand processes of accumulation and depletion of strategic assets, in SMEs' e-ventures. Copyright  2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Syst. Dyn. Rev.18, 403–429, (2002)


This thesis dexamines for the first time the origin and development of the multi-part play in English between the years 1587 and 1630. After Tamburlaine, dramatic sequels become a regular feature of the professional theatre, and figure significantly in the early careers of Shakespeare and Marston as well as that of Marlowe. More than one hundred separate plays, extant and lost, are considered for evidence of composition, performance, publication, and literary and theatrical relationship. The plays are grouped according to genre, but at the same time a continuing chronological development is revealed. Many of the multi-part plays were unanticipated by the author, sequels appearing in response to popular success; others, especially among the Histories, were deliberately conceived in two or more parts. Nevertheless, in both categories, verbal and structural cross-references exist which can indicate intellectual consistency even where the original circumstances of performance made this difficult to perceive. From the general considerations, some specific conclusions emerge: many of the problems of 1 Henry VI are explained with reference to other planned sequences influenced by Tamburlaine; Munday's Huntington plays are shown to have an ingenious design in an extended rehearsal framework; new reasons are given for the derivation of 1 Hieronimo from an earlier sequel to Kyd's revenge tragedy; the structure of Chapman's Byron plays yields new evidence of their textual history; and Dekker's 2 The Honest Whore is profitably discussed in relation to Shakespeare's treatment of Hal in 2 Henry IV. In an essay comparing the composition and structure of sequels, it is suggested that they have an unrecognized significance to the growth and achievement of English Renaissance drama.


How to Read World Literature addresses the unique challenges faced by a reader confronting foreign literature. Accessible and enlightening, Damrosch offers readers the tools to navigate works as varied as Homer, Sophocles, Kalidasa, Du Fu, Dante, Murasaki, Moliere, Kafka, Soyinka, and Walcott.

 Offers a unique set of "modes of entry" for readers encountering foreign literature

 Provides readers with the tools to think creatively and systematically about key issues such as reading across time and cultures, reading translated works, and emerging global perspectives

 Covers a wide variety of genres, from lyric and epic poetry to drama and prose fiction and discusses how these forms have been used in different eras and cultures


Background: Nowadays, there is an abundance of many therapeutic options available for the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Hence, shifting the trend toward personalized treatment that focuses on the differences among different classes of pharmacological agents with regard to the mechanism of action, efficacy, and most important - the safety. Most of the clinical guidelines reconcile the risk-benefit ratio of the individual therapies. Moreover, there is limited evidence comparing the efficacy and safety of second-line drugs in combination therapies. It becomes crucial to rationalize the combination therapies with respect to attainment of glycemic targets, reduction in the short- and long-term complications and providing a better quality of life. In clinical practice, optimal treatment of type 2 DM must take into account the various comorbidities and adverse drug reactions (ADRs).

Aims and Objective: The aims of the study were to assess the ADRs associated with second-line antidiabetic drugs when used as add-on agent in uncomplicated type 2 DM.

Materials and Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years of age, diagnosed as uncomplicated type 2 DM who were previously receiving at least one oral antidiabetic drug (metformin or sulfonylurea) or dual-combination therapy (metformin+sulfonylurea) and for the first-time initiated on a second-line add-on agent, i.e., pioglitazone or dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor (sitagliptin/vildagliptin) or α-glucosidase inhibitor (voglibose) or insulin (pre-mixed insulin [30% regular/70% NPH]) were included in the study. The ADRs associated with second-line agents were assessed based on hypoglycemic events, weight changes, frequency of ADRs, liver and renal function tests, and medical events reported.

Results: A total of 240 patients (mean age 56.79 ± 11.73 years) were prescribed one of four different class of hypoglycemic agents. Overall, the median weight gain of 1.5 kg was observed in the insulin group, with no change of median weight in DPP-4 inhibitor group; while pioglitazone and voglibose group demonstrated a median weight loss of 1 and 0.5 kg, respectively, at the end of 6 months. The maximum number of hypoglycemic episodes was reported in insulin treatment group, i.e., 33; while least with DPP-4 inhibitor, i.e., 12. Out of 274 ADRs, the most common were gastrointestinal adverse effects, i.e., 30.66% and least were the dermatological ADRs (5.11%).

Conclusion: Henceforth, DPP-4 inhibitor add-on group was found to be safest in terms of least hypoglycemic episodes and side effects when used as add-on therapy.


Violence is often seen as intimately connected to the Abrahamic religions, while on other accounts peace is the main religious objective. There is plenty of scope for coming to both conclusions when we examine Christianity, Islam and Judaism. It could be argued that religion takes violence seriously and provides suggestions for controlling it. In fact, the methodology of theology itself emphasizes balance and moderation, and so attempts to control violent and aggressive human behavior. Islam in particular, and all the Abrahamic religions, tend to accord theologically with Aristotelian approaches to ethics, and so an unbridled enthusiasm for violence would be anathema. The Abrahamic religions provide intellectual resources for the regulation of conflict and clearly all take a positive view of peace.


In this work, we present a novel local descriptor for video sequences. The proposed descriptor is based on histograms of oriented 3D spatio-temporal gradients. Our contribution is four-fold. (i) To compute 3D gradients for arbitrary scales, we develop a memory-efficient algorithm based on integral videos. (ii) We propose a generic 3D orientation quantization which is based on regular polyhedrons. (iii) We perform an in-depth evaluation of all descriptor parameters and optimize them for action recognition. (iv) We apply our descriptor to various action datasets (KTH, Weizmann, Hollywood) and show that we outperform the state-of-the-art.


Trade union leaders serve dual, seemingly contradictory roles. They must command militant organizations in conflicts with employers. Simultaneously, they must be accountable and democratically responsive to their members. Few unions possess the institutions or leadership to accomplish both. This article analyzes the practices of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), in which effective contract negotiation (including leadership during strikes) and an informed, active rank-and-file democracy are mutually supportive. We offer an alternative to standard accounts of union democracy. While the claims are based on a detailed case study, the theoretical model and its insights hold for labor unions and organizations more broadly.


The present research focuses on the productivity of energy wood chipping operations at several sites in Italy. The aim was to assess the productivity and specifically the effect attributed to the operator in the chipping of wood biomass. The research included 172 trials involving 67 operators across the country that were analysed using a mixed model approach, in order to assess productivity, and to isolate the operator effect from other potential variables. The model was constructed using different predictors aiming to explain the variability due to the machines and the raw-materials. The final model included the average piece weight of raw material chipped as well as the power of the machine. The coefficients of determination (R2) were 0.76 for the fixed part of the model, and 0.88 when the effects due to the operators were included. The operators' performance compared to their peers was established, and it was compared to a subjective classification based on the operator's previous experience. The results of this study can help to the planning and logistics of raw material supply for bioenergy, as well as to a more effective training of future forest operators.


This paper presents a theoretical investigation on the dispersion in graded-index silica glass fibers under overfilled launching with equal excitation of modes. This theory incorporates both chromatic effect and modal contribution which takes not only the modal delay into account but also the distributed loss and mode-coupling. Random microbends are considered to be the most dominant source of coupling. All index perturbations and intrinsic core diameter variations are assumed to be negligible, but they could readily be included without changing the basic structure of the model. The 3-dB bandwidth is analyzed through the study of the fiber transfer function which introduces the wavelength and modal effects as two separate filter functions. The formal derivation of the chromatic transfer function is analytical. On the other hand, the modal transfer function is obtained by numerically solving the power flow equation in the frequency domain using Crank-Nicholson method. As an application, the results are illustrated showing, in particular, the influence of the fiber core/outside diameters, for the first time.


As consumers' demand for organic products and especially organic food grows, organic certification for tropical fruit is increasingly promoted in many developing countries. Certified organic pineapple exports only started taking off after 2005 and are rapidly increasing. The organic and conventional fresh pineapple value chains are dominated by certification standards and large multinational companies respectively. The two markets, however, still differ greatly in size. We analyze if this influences the price structure in these markets. Specifically, the paper attempts to single out the existence and direction of causality between the conventional and organic pineapple price using the European pineapple market as an example. We study spatial price transmission, i.e. the difference in prices between the markets for organic and conventional pineapple. The results indicate the dependence of organic market price movements on conventional ones. On the contrary, the conventional market is not affected by this niche market.


BACKGROUND
Active Design is a relatively new concept and evaluation on its effects on healthy behaviour is lacking.

OBJECTIVE
To investigate Active Design influence on workplace physical activity, sedentary behaviour, musculoskeletal complaints, and perceptions of the workplace and productivity.

METHODS
Participants (n = 118 adults) moving from 14 workplaces into a new building completed an online questionnaire pre- and post-move. The questions related to health behaviours (physical activity, sitting time and sleep); musculoskeletal issues; perceptions of the office environment; productivity; and engagement.

RESULTS
After the move, 68% of participants were located in an open plan building (21% before the move). In the new workplace participants tended to sit less during their work time (72% - 66%; p < 0.05) and stand more (15% - 19%; p < 0.05) while walking remained unchanged. Participants reported less lower-back pain. The new work environment was perceived as more motivating and providing better light, air quality and temperature, but less storage space. Participants reported looking forward to going to work more than before. No difference was reported in productivity related measures.

CONCLUSIONS
Moving to a new Active Design building can have some physical health-promoting effects on occupants. Satisfaction with environmental characteristics tended to improve in the new building though perceptions of productivity measures were variable.


Let $\Omega$ be a finite set and let $\mathcal{S} \subseteq \mathcal{P}(\Omega)$ be a set system on $\Omega$. For $x\in \Omega$, we denote by $d_{\mathcal{S}}(x)$ the number of members of $\mathcal{S}$ containing $x$. A long-standing conjecture of Frankl states that if $\mathcal{S}$ is union-closed then there is some $x\in \Omega$ with $d_{\mathcal{S}}(x)\geq \frac{1}{2}|\mathcal{S}|$. We consider a related question. Define the weight of a family $\mathcal{S}$ to be $w(\mathcal{S}) := \sum_{A \in \mathcal{S}} |A|$. Suppose $\mathcal{S}$ is union-closed. How small can $w(\mathcal{S})$ be? Reimer showed $$w(\mathcal{S}) \geq \frac{1}{2} |\mathcal{S}| \log_2 |\mathcal{S}|,$$ and that this inequality is tight. In this paper we show how Reimer's bound may be improved if we have some additional information about the domain $\Omega$ of $\mathcal{S}$: if $\mathcal{S}$ separates the points of its domain, then $$w(\mathcal{S})\geq \binom{|\Omega|}{2}.$$ This is stronger than Reimer's Theorem when $\vert \Omega \vert > \sqrt{|\mathcal{S}|\log_2 |\mathcal{S}|}$. In addition we construct a family of examples showing the combined bound on $w(\mathcal{S})$ is tight except in the region $|\Omega|=\Theta (\sqrt{|\mathcal{S}|\log_2 |\mathcal{S}|})$, where it may be off by a multiplicative factor of $2$. Our proof also gives a lower bound on the average degree: if $\mathcal{S}$ is a point-separating union-closed family on $\Omega$, then $$ \frac{1}{|\Omega|} \sum_{x \in \Omega} d_{\mathcal{S}}(x) \geq \frac{1}{2} \sqrt{|\mathcal{S}| \log_2 |\mathcal{S}|}+ O(1),$$ and this is best possible except for a multiplicative factor of $2$.


There are two separate aspects to what is distinctive about a Catholic law school as opposed to a secular one – one having to do with formation and the other having to do with the transmission of the Catholic intellectual tradition. The focus of this article is on the first of the two distinctive aspects of Catholic legal education – formation. It addresses the question how Catholic social thought informs (or should inform) our thinking about the formation role of Catholic law schools. I argue that from the perspective of Catholic thought, Catholic law schools must do more than merely train students to practice law. In addition to educating students to become lawyers, Catholic law schools have a formation and development task that involves at least several related aspects – creating a vocation-based culture and understanding of success, helping students discern their place in the legal profession, and giving them the tools they will need to carry out their calling in a manner consistent with the Gospel. In talking about these roles, the article also suggests some ways this formation and development mission of the Catholic law school might be carried out and briefly identifies some of the challenges that will be faced by Catholic law schools in trying to carry out this role.


Ethical aspects of food products have become increasingly important for Western European consumers. One example of such ethical consumption attributes are "peace products", commodities produced in peaceful economic cooperation between members of conflicting parties in areas of political conflict. In the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, we investigate the willingness to pay of consumers from four European countries for two food products which are jointly produced by Israelis and Palestinians. We conduct a cross country web survey including a choice experiment addressed to the four European countries. Preference heterogeneity with regard to the willingness to pay for peace building products is taken into account by including survey questions on lifestyle factors, attitudes towards Israel, Palestine and the Israel-Palestinian conflict, personal and social norms as well as socio-demographics. Using random parameter logit models we find that consumers in Great Britain and Germany are willing to pay a premium first off all for European products compared with products from Israel or the Palestinian Territories alone. The willingness to pay for Israeli/Palestinian peace products is lower compared to the surplus for European products. But the cooperation product is favored instead of a single county product, just from Israel or the Palestinian Territories. Hence, cooperation in the form of joint production of peace products would generate benefits.


Crystalline silicon (c-Si) homojunction solar cells account for over 90% of the current photovoltaic market. However, further progress of this technology is limited by recombinative losses occurring at their metal-semiconductor contacts. The goal of this thesis is to develop passivating contacts to resolve this issue. The novel idea presented in this work is to insert an ultra-thin wide bandgap semiconductor-hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-film underneath the metal to passivate the doped c-Si surface and suppress the recombination of minority charge carriers. Simultaneously, this layer should provide a contact to the metal allowing majority charge carrier transport. A transparent conductive oxide is additionally inserted between the a-Si:H layer and the metal to ensure efficient carrier collection. This concept is inspired by the silicon heterojunction solar cells, a technology characterized by extremely high open-circuit voltages. The development of these new passivating contacts requires two features: a homojunction, for charge separation, and a silicon heterojunction contact for improved passivation. In this thesis, we explicitly focus on large-area thin-film deposition technology for fabrication of our devices, guaranteeing the scalability of our findings. The main results of this thesis are then threefold. First, we show that, using low-temperature plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, a doped homo-epitaxial layer can be deposited to form the homojunction. Second, we develop passivating contacts and optimize them in silicon heterojunction solar cells. An in-depth analysis of the contact formation is provided, including a detailed investigation of the relevant interfaces in our proposed structure. Finally, combining these two technologies, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept for these passivating contacts. Highly doped phosphorus- and boron-doped c-Si surfaces are shown to be efficiently passivated by a-Si:H layers and a lower contact resistivity is obtained for our optimized passivating contacts on such doped surfaces compared to a heterojunction contact on lightly doped surfaces. We show that homojunction solar cells on diffused and ion-implanted wafers featuring such passivating contacts (called homo-hetero cells hereinafter) yield improved open-circuit voltages compared to conventional homojunction solar cells, due to reduction of recombination losses. Additionally, the temperature coefficient of such homo-hetero solar cells is lower. With these advantages, the homo-hetero solar cells outperform homojunction solar cells when operating at a cell temperature above 60 °C. This work contributes to the research and development of high-efficiency silicon solar cells by providing new insights on the properties of contact formation and a novel contact-type.


We present a comprehensive framework for identifying influential factors of business process performance. In particular, our approach combines monitoring of process events and Quality of Service (QoS) measurements with dependency analysis to effectively identify influential factors. The framework uses data mining techniques to construct tree structures to represent dependencies of a key performance indicator (KPI) on process and QoS metrics. These dependency trees allow business analysts to determine how process KPIs depend on lower-level process metrics and QoS characteristics of the IT infrastructure. The structure of the dependencies enables a drill-down analysis of single factors of influence to gain a deeper knowledge why certain KPI targets are not met.


This booklet presents new thinking and emerging research alongside a series of case studies and examples of new and time-tested programmes on the issues of gender equality, HIV and education and the interrelation between them. It includes discussion papers, which explore issues and emerging evidence in greater depth, as well as case study examples of programmes and interventions from a range of countries. These are intended to illustrate the links between gender, HIV and education, rather than to provide a comprehensive overview or analysis of the issues. The aim of the booklet is to highlight experiences, innovative approaches and lessons learned, in order to inform policy and programming. It is intended for policy-makers, planners and professionals in the education sector as well as those working on HIV and gender equality.


In the last several years there has been growing concern about the use of restraint and seclusion in school. Little is known about the use of seclusion in schools, particularly with students with disabilities. The purpose of this study was to discover: under what conditions are students with disabilities subject to seclusion in schools? A grounded theory analysis was done of 26 due process hearings containing a complaint about the use of seclusion. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act provided the framework and the relation between IDEA and seclusion was included in the analysis. For the purpose of this study, seclusion is defined as "the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving" (Council of Children with Behavioral Disorders [CCBD], 2009, p. 1). The study identified seven conditions that lead to the seclusion interaction that were analyzed and mapped using Strauss and Corbin's conditional matrix (1990). These conditions are, in order of lower to higher levels of significance and proximity to the seclusion event: a loose legal boundary, expert recommendation, a special education setting, manifestation of disability, ineffective behavior plan, negative connotation of disability, and the rationale for the seclusion event. The seclusion event is characterized by the rooms used for seclusion, the terms used to define it, the frequency and duration of the seclusion event, the exit criteria, and physical and mental health contraindications. The seclusion event resulted in several short and long term outcomes for students, including a placement trajectory that moved students into more restrictive settings.


This article is intended to help both learners and teachers get to grip with the source material used in examination and tests by providing a systematic way in which to analyse them for such factors as usefulness, reliability and validity. The various factors inherent in source analysis are arranged into a table, called the source matrix. To help learners and teachers further two examples are given of how the matrix could be used to analyse the source material provided. While such detailed analysis will never be required in tests and examination, it should nevertheless prevent the sort of meaningless answers which currently appear in many tests and examinations.


Background/Context One of the most critical functions of a well-integrated school is the development of "culturally flexible" students who, over the course of their social development, effectively navigate diverse social environs such as the workplace, communities, and neighborhoods. Most studies, albeit with some exceptions, have investigated the impact of desegregation on short- and long-term gains in achievement and attainment, as opposed to its impact on intergroup relations. Mixed-race schools are vital not only for bolstering achievement outcomes of previously disadvantaged students but also for promoting social cohesion in a diverse society. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study Specifically, this article examines the difference in cultural flexibility between black and white students enrolled in schools with different racial and ethnic compositions. Cultural flexibility is defined as the propensity to value and move across different cultural and social peer groups and environments. Furthermore, this article provides some insight into how students in different mixed-race and desegregated educational contexts experience their school's social organization and cultural environments, which influence their interactions and academic behaviors. Setting The study was conducted over a 6-month period in four high schools: a majority-minority school and a majority-white school located in a northeastern city, and a majority-minority school and a majority-white school located in a southern city. Research Design Survey data were gathered from a randomly stratified sample of 471 Black and White students attending. In addition, ethnographic notes from weeks of school observations and transcribed interview data from 57 group interviews conducted in the four schools with students in Grades 9–12 complemented the survey research. Data Collection and Analysis Findings reveal significant associations among self-esteem, academic and extracurricular placement, and cultural flexibility for black students. Also, black students in majority-minority schools scored significantly higher on the cultural flexibility scale than those in majority-white schools. Among white students, regional location and academic placement showed statistically significant associations with cultural flexibility. The ethnographic and interview data further explicate why these patterns occurred and illuminate how certain school contextual factors are likely linked to students' cultural flexibility. Overall, this study's findings highlight some connections between student and school behaviors as they pertain to both students' and educators' willingness and ability to realize the visions of racial and ethnic integration wholly.


Innovation is a necessary part of construction business operations as a means to remain competitive in a dynamic environment, and yet, as a whole the construction industry continues to be labeled as laggard. Innovation and the processes surrounding innovation involve layers of complexity and are therefore often misunderstood. In order for industry stakeholders to better derive benefits from the innovation process, they must first understand the drivers of innovation within their own organizations, including relationships to other organizations and actions of contributing individuals. Utilizing a flexible design methodology of literature review, a modified Delphi technique and a survey instrument, this work aims to develop and present an initial validation of a framework of individual and organizational change by which such characteristics of innovativeness can be categorized. As a basis of this work, categories of innovativeness are those defined by Rogers (2003), and then expanded by parameters of innovativeness extracted from scholarly literature. The overarching goal of this research endeavor is to better understand the behavior of individual and organizational change through specific categories of innovativeness that can be used to build a tangible set of tools for use in the construction industry. However, ultimate validation and translation will be the effort of future work. In gaining innovativeness knowledge, industry stakeholders will understand their own strengths and weaknesses, better arming them with the tools to initiate and succeed at organizational change.


Aims—Patients without spleens are at increased risk of overwhelming infection. Recently, greater efforts, including the publication of national guidelines, have been made to improve the management of asplenic individuals. In theory, risks of serious sepsis can be reduced by good advice, immunisation, and antibiotic prophylaxis. In practice, such preventive measures might not be followed or may fail. A study of recent cases of overwhelming postsplenectomy infection (OPSI) was undertaken to examine specific associated factors and to determine whether currently recommended preventive measures are being followed. Methods—Cases of OPSI were identified and reported mainly by microbiologists across the country using a specifically designed proforma. Data including the nature of the infection and vaccination/antibiotic prophylaxis history since splenectomy were obtained. Results—Seventy seven cases were reported. The age range varied from 3 months (congenital asplenia) to 87 years. In those who had undergone surgical splenectomy, the time interval between surgery and OPSI varied from 24 days to 65 years. Overall mortality reached 50%, with underlying haematological malignancy associated with the highest death rate. Streptococcus pneumoniae caused approximately 90% episodes. Only 31% individuals had received pneumococcal vaccination before OPSI. Seven of 17 pneumococcal infections in immunised cases could be considered vaccine failures. Few patients had been adequately advised on antibiotic prophylaxis or other measures. Conclusions—Currently accepted best practice for managing asplenic patients is not being followed. Some OPSI cases may still be preventable but many asplenic individuals remain unrecognised. The compilation of asplenic patient registers might help to implement agreed policies with audit necessary to evaluate compliance. More is needed to ensure optimal management for this cohort of the population.


In this book van der Leeuw discusses the horizontal path to God and the vertical paths descending from God and ascending to Him. If God Himself appears, it is in a totally different manner, which results not in intelligible utterance, but in proclamation; and it is with this that theology has to deal."Originally published in 1986.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.


The principle that the prosecution must prove the guilt of the accused beyond reasonable doubt is basic to the administration of criminal justice (Woolmington v The Queen). The purpose of this article is to determine the outer limits of the principle by reviewing some recent cases in the High Court of Australia. These cases show that the Woolmington principle is not absolute. It does not govern every aspect or stage of a criminal trial. It is hoped that by studying the exceptions to the general principle, its central meaning will be seen in sharper focus.


The aim of the research work is to collect data about the chosen indicators about day care centres for the disabled in Lithuania and to try to classify them according to the main characteristics of their activities. According to the results of the research work the practical experience of the active day care centres will be generalised and the classification of day care centres (a short, principal description of the activities of the main types of day care centres) will be given. The activities of day care centres have been evaluated by two research methods: method of analysis of documents – descriptive method and method of non–standardised expert interrogatory. Inquest of the leaders of day care centres about the concrete practical results of the centres and their evaluation. According to the number of clients, provided services, staff characteristics we can pick out such types of day care centres: – specialised day care centres for disabled youth and adults; – day care centres of club type for disabled adults; – specialised day care centres for disabled children; – day care centres of club type for disabled children; – informative care centres for families. For this research work has been only a review one, the given characteristics of various types of day care centres should be revised according to a larger amount of data.


Complementary problems play a central role in equilibrium finding, physical simulation, and optimization. As a consequence, we are interested in understanding how to solve these problems quickly, and this often involves approximation. In this paper we present a method for approximately solving strictly monotone linear complementarity problems with a Galerkin approximation. We also give bounds for the approximate error, and prove novel bounds on perturbation error. These perturbation bounds suggest that a Galerkin approximation may be much less sensitive to noise than the original LCP.


This thesis addresses the interface between producers of new media and their audiences/users as it manifests itself in production. It is based on a case study of NESTA Futurelab (a production-research laboratory in educational new media) conducted in its first year of existence, as its staff sought to define the endeavour —'what it is for' and, more importantly, 'whom it is for'. Drawing on science and technology studies (STS) and media theory, this study challenges models of the producer-user interface which endorse 'technical mediation' in proposing alternatives to its three components — the use bias, overstated co-design and the ontological divide between producers and users.
In response to the use bias, the study of Futurelab demonstrates that the producers' perceptions of their audiences (both users and partners) determine from the outset decisions as to the organization's purpose, structure, methodology and outputs. Overstated co-design is countered by uncovering the producers' downplaying of direct user involvement and any pretension to scientific methodology through which they engage the users. This study stresses the more pervasive practice of mediation whereby they represent the absent users. This is further conceptualized through their portrayal as 'experience-based experts' — the producers claim the ability to contribute substantively to production by virtue of their social experience, while minimizing their technical competence.
Lastly, the presumed ontological divide between producers and users is contested by illustrating that the spheres of production and reception overlap in the producers' experience, which is reactivated on an ad hoc basis in production. Through notions such as 'reflexivity', 'prior feedback', 'producer-user overlap', `mediated quasi-interaction' and 'experience-based expertise', the producer-user interface is thus inscribed in the continuity of producers' social experience rather than being seen as an interaction purposely and strategically instated at a discrete moment. The most notable instances of continuity are captured by the producers' playing of the synthetic role of producer-user, which rests on the claimed proximity between production and other relevant social situations.


Volume 14 of the Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology marked the end of the series edited by Dr R. J. Chandler. Many readers around the world will have good reason to be grateful to Dr Chandler for his editorship of the Quarterly Journal, and I am sure that they would wish me to thank him on their behalf for the excellent work he has done in maintaining the Quarterly Journal as a vehicle of international reputation for the publication of geotechnical and hydrogeological work. Dr Chandler assumed his responsibilities as editor in 1978 and the first issue under his charge was the very successful Proceedings of the Conference on Engineering Problems associated with Ground Conditions in the Middle East. In 1979 he guided the response of the Journal to the needs of the members of the Hydrogeological Group and since that time there has been a growing commitment to provide space for the publication of hydrogeological work. Since 1978 there has developed a tendency in the Society to sponsor thematic meetings, the proceedings of which have been accommodated by its Journals. These present the Editors with special problems and we are fortunate that Dr Chandler succeeded in providing us with the proceedings for the important meetings on Engineering Geological Mapping for Planning, Design and Construction; Coastal Engineering; Stability of Concrete Aggregates; Engineering Geology Applied to Construction; and Mudrocks of the UK. In addition he maintained a general mixture of subjects for other issues that sustains the broader interests of the


When Olivia and Hamish see a smoky haze coming from their local park, they're ready to spring into action! But it's not a fire – it's a nest of Australian stingless bees that needs their help.
Join Olivia and Hamish as they learn about the bees in our backyards. From Blue-banded and Teddy Bear to Carpenter and Leaf-cutter bees, our two budding Bee Detectives discover how our native bees live, what they like to eat and the important work they do to pollinate plants.
Explore the wonders of Australia's native bees – and be inspired to become a Bee Detective, too. It's a real buzz!


Introduction Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy (AFLP) is a life threatening condition occurring in the last trimester of pregnancy, its incidence is up to 1/1000 births1 and is commoner in primiparous women with male or twin pregnancies.2 It has features in common with HELLP syndrome, though coagulopathy, hypoglycaemia and polydipsia are commoner in AFLP and anaemia is not a feature.3 Liver biopsy confirms the diagnosis but a Swansea Score of 6 or above, in absence of another explanation, indicates AFLP.1 We aimed to review our experiences of AFLP to further our recognition and management of the condition. Methods A retrospective review of 20 patients with suspected AFLP between 1993 and 2011, assessing patient demographics, Swansea score, biopsy results and complications. Results Median age 26 (range 18–35), gestation age 36 (range 33–40), 3 twin pregnancies and 65% male births. Most were G1P0. Average Swansea score 9 (range 6–13). Commonest presentation was abdominal pain, malaise and vomiting. 60% had polydypsia, 25% had encephalopathy. 100% had raised transaminase, AST 231 u/l (range 84–4019), ALT 274 u/l (range 99–722). 95% had high urate 0.61 mmol/l (range 0.32–0.97), 85% had high bilirubin 62 umol/l (range 13–192) and 85% leucocytosis 19.4×109/l (range 12.8–74.5). 65% had renal impairment, Creatinine 141 umol/l (range 40–305), 55% had coagulopathy, PT 15 s (range 10–57), 40% had hypoglycaemia, glucose 3 mmol/l (range 1–6). 20% patients had high ammonia, average 58 (range 28–67), 65% patients did not have ammonia checked. Ultrasound scan (USS) was performed on 4/20 patients, 2 had steatosis. 50% patients had biopsy, done 2–13 days post partum. All had microvesicular steatosis, 2 cholestasis, 1 centrilobular necrosis and 1 hepatocyte inflammation. All bloods, where available, showed improvement in 7 days and normalised by 3 months. Complications occurred in 3 pregnancies; 2 intrauterine deaths and 1 prolonged ITU stay. No patients had recurrence of AFLP. No maternal deaths occurred. Conclusion Male babies and twin pregnancies increased risk AFLP. A high index of suspicion is needed in patients with abdominal pain, malaise and high ALT in the last trimester, the Swansea score should be applied to aid diagnosis, higher Swansea scores indicate greater risk. Recent years have shown improved maternal and foetal survival2 but correct identification and early obstetric intervention prevents complications such as liver failure. Competing interests None declared. References 1. Ch'ng CL, Morgan M, Hainsworth I, et al. Prospective study of liver dysfunction in pregnancy in Southwest Wales. Gut 2002;51:876–80. 2. Knight M, Nelson-Piercy C, Kurinczuk JJ, et al. A prospective national study of acute fatty liver of pregnancy in the UK. Gut 2008;57:951–6. 3. Kingham JG. Liver disease in pregnancy. Clin Med 2006;6:34–40.


Abstract Mucormycosis is a rare, though increasingly prevalent, life-threatening fungal disease caused by Mucorales. The incidence has increased over the last decade and its mortality remains high at around 50%. Mucormycosis occurs mostly in patients with diabetes mellitus and/or in the context of immunosuppression resulting from chemotherapy for hematological malignancy, hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, or solid-organ transplantation. In this situation, lung and rhino-orbito-cerebral infections are the most frequent localizations of the disease. Prompt initiation of an effective treatment is essential to decrease mortality. However, mucormycosis and aspergillosis share close clinical and radiological features. Invasive procedures such as bronchial endoscopy and/or lung biopsy are necessary to confirm diagnosis, as no indirect tests are yet validated. Therefore, the challenge is to minimize the delay in diagnosis. When present, the reversed halo sign on CT scan is suggestive of mucormycosis. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction is a new promising approach to detect Mucorales DNA in serum and new molecular tools are available to detect Mucorales in tissues as well as to specify species. Recommendations from ECIL and ECMM/ESCMID have recently been published on management of mucormycosis. The recommended treatment is an amphotericin B lipid formulation in combination with surgery and modification of risk factors. High-dose (10 mg/kg) of liposomal amphotericin B is recommended in case of neurological involvement and posaconazole for maintenance therapy. Place of isavuconazole as well as posaconazole new formulations (tablets and intravenous) in first line treatment have to be defined. Improved radiologic descriptions of mucormycosis and new molecular tools may be key elements to help with rapid diagnosis in the future. Clinical trials are warranted to improve therapeutic success and hopefully survival.


Objective: The epidemic proportions and management complexity of diabetes have prompted efforts to improve clinic throughput and efficiency. One method of system redesign based on the chronic care model is the Shared Medical Appointment (SMA) in which groups of patients (8–20) are seen by a multi-disciplinary team in a 1–2 h appointment. Evaluation of the impact of SMAs on quality of care has been limited. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to improve intermediate outcome measures for diabetes (A1c, SBP, LDL-cholesterol) focusing on those patients at highest cardiovascular risk. Setting: Primary care clinic at a tertiary care academic medical center. Subjects: Patients with diabetes with one or more of the following: A1c >9%, SBP blood pressure >160 mm Hg and LDL-c >130 mg/dl were targeted for potential participation; other patients were referred by their primary care providers. Patients participated in at least one SMA from 4/05 to 9/05. Study design: Quasi-experimental with concurrent, but non-randomised controls (patients who participated in SMAs from 5/06 through 8/06; a retrospective period of observation prior to their SMA participation was used). Intervention: SMA system redesign Analytical methods: Paired and independent t tests, χ2 tests and Fisher Exact tests. Results: Each group had up to 8 patients. Patients participated in 1–7 visits. At the initial visit, 83.3% had A1c levels >9%, 30.6% had LDL-cholesterol levels >130 mg/dl, and 34.1% had SBP ⩾160 mm Hg. Levels of A1c, LDL-c and SBP all fell significantly postintervention with a mean (95% CI) decrease of A1c 1.4 (0.8, 2.1) (p<0.001), LDL-c 14.8 (2.3, 27.4) (p = 0.022) and SBP 16.0 (9.7, 22.3) (p<0.001). There were no significant differences at baseline between control and intervention groups in terms of age, baseline intermediate outcomes, or medication use. The reductions in A1c in % and SBP were greater in the intervention group relative to the control group: 1.44 vs –0.30 (p = 0.002) for A1c and 14.83 vs 2.54 mm Hg (p = 0.04) for SBP. LDL-c reduction was also greater in the intervention group, 16.0 vs 5.37 mg/dl, but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.29). Conclusions: We were able to initiate a programme of group visits in which participants achieved benefits in terms of cardiovascular risk reduction. Some barriers needed to be addressed, and the operations of SMAs evolved over time. Shared medical appointments for diabetes constitute a practical system redesign that may help to improve quality of care.


Background: The staging of colorectal carcinoma using 3 modalities viz operative, histopathology and CT scan has been subject of interest in accurately defining the extent of disease. This retrospective as well as prospective study was carried out at CMC, Ludhiana, Punjab from November 2011 to May 2014. Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the usefulness and accuracy of CT scan findings to state the extent and spread of colorectal malignancy and to correlate these findings with histopathological diagnosis. Method: A total of 31 biopsy proven patients showing variable bowel wall thickening involving the colon /rectum on CECT (Contrast Enhanced Computed Tomography) were included in the study. The tumours were staged based on the CT scan findings and were compared with the operative and histopathological findings. Observations: Rectum was the most common site of involvement followed by the recto-sigmoid involvement. Metastasis was observed in 5 cases out of the 31 malignant cases. Five of the 7 cases were correctly staged as T1 & T2 lesions on CT having a sensitivity of 83.3%, specificity of 92%, and positive predictive value of 71.4% and a negative predictive value of 95.8% in the diagnosis of T1 and T2 lesions. 15 of the 16 cases were correctly staged as T3 lesions. CT had a sensitivity of 88.2%, specificity of 93.8%, and positive predictive value of 93.8% and a negative predictive value of 86.7% in the diagnosis of T3 lesions. All the 8 cases were correctly staged as T4 lesions. CT had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 100%, and positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 100% in the diagnosis of T4 lesions. Conclusion: We conclude that CT scan is an excellent modality in diagnosing malignant lesions of the colon and rectum.


Like the complex systems of man-made power lines that transmit electricity and connect people and places, feminist alliances are elaborate networks that have the potential to provide access to institutional power and to transform relations. In Power Lines , Aimee Carrillo Rowe explores the formation and transformative possibilities of transracial feminist alliances. She draws on her conversations with twenty-eight self-defined academic feminists, who reflect on their academic careers, alliances, feminist struggles, and identifications. Based on those conversations and her own experiences as an Anglo-Chicana queer feminist researcher, Carrillo Rowe investigates when and under what conditions transracial feminist alliances in academia work or fail, and how close attention to their formation provides the theoretical and political groundwork for a collective vision of subjectivity.

Combining theory, criticism, and narrative nonfiction, Carrillo Rowe develops a politics of relation that encourages the formation of feminist alliances across racial and other boundaries within academia. Such a politics of relation is founded on her belief that our subjectivities emerge in community; our affective investments inform and even create our political investments. Thus experience, consciousness, and agency must be understood as coalitional rather than individual endeavors. Carrillo Rowe's conversations with academic feminists reveal that women who restrict their primary allies to women of their same race tend to have limited notions of feminism, whereas women who build transracial alliances cultivate more nuanced, intersectional, and politically transformative feminisms. For Carrillo Rowe, the institutionalization of feminism is not so much an achievement as an ongoing relational process. In Power Lines , she offers a set of critical, practical, and theoretical tools for building and maintaining transracial feminist alliances.


By storing a digital representation of the impulse response of an equivalent filter in memory, a set of musical tones can be generated in which every tone in the set has the same spectral envelope rather than the same wave shape as occurs when the wave shape itself is stored. Similarly, in the tone of a violin played with vibrato the spectral envelope, rather than the wave shape, would be maintained throughout the vibrato cycle. Generating the tones by summing successive read‐outs of the stored impulse response requires considerably less memory than that required to store a different wave shape for every note in the range of an instrument. In the absence of a synthesizer which generates tones from a stored impulse response, several examples of brass, woodwind, and string instrument tones have been computed in advance and the tones stored on disk so they can be demonstrated by playing them through a sampler synthesizer.


Solidify all the key concepts for the new 2014 syllabus. This fully comprehensive Study Guide helps learners focus on crucial concepts, reinforcing all the essential theory. Breaking down complex ideas into clear, manageable models, it provides a supportive framework for developing higher level comprehension. Fully supporting the new concept-based learning approach, detailed assessment support is integrated to help progress learners to higher attainment levels. *Build complete confidence on all the key topics - fully comprehensive coverage of the new 2014 syllabus *Cement understanding of complex ideas - focused approach simplifies complicated concepts *Progress student achievement - clear frameworks deepen comprehension and develop higher level understanding *Drive assessment confidence - integrated exam support clarifies the requirements and strengthens exam potential *Engage learners in the concept-based approach - material is linked to real-world concepts, with exercises that build confident thinking skills *Clear and accessible language supports EAL learners About the series: Reinforce student understanding of all the crucial subject material. Fully comprehensive and matched to the most recent syllabuses, these resources provide focused review of all important concepts, tangibly strengthening assessment potential.


8 JUNE 1950 * 31 MARCH 2005 STANLEY J. KORSMEYER, M.D., a nonsmoker and vigorous man in perfect health, died of a ravaging lung cancer at the age of fifty-four on 31 March 2005. The loss of Dr. Korsmeyer in the prime of his career is a tragedy for his family and for all of academic medicine. Stan, as he liked to be called, was born in Beardstown, Illinois, the son of Willard and Carnella Korsmeyer, who operated a family livestock farm. A hard worker from childhood, he showed the grand champion pair of hogs at the Illinois State Fair at the age of fourteen. He received the Governor's Trophy as his first piece of "hardware." There were many more to come. As a high-school student, he was interested in veterinary medicine, but at the University of Illinois, an astute veterinarian persuaded him to enter medical school. There he was guided into hematology/oncology by the late Paul Heller, M.D., the latter a refugee from the Nazis who became chief of hematology at the university. From Illinois, where he was a top student, Stan went on to become an intern and resident in medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, where the then chair of the department, Holly Smith, M.D., considered him to be one of the best residents he had ever known. Following his residency, Stan began his investigative career in earnest. He became a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health, where he worked closely with Phillip Leder, M.D., and Thomas WaIdman, M.D. There in the 1980s he burst on the biomedical research scene with his discovery that a form of murine lymphoma was due to a mutation that abrogates apoptosis. The mutated gene called BCL-2 became the first discovered gene in a large family that prevents or encourages cells to enter the apoptotic death pathway. Analogues of these genes also control the development of organs and limbs. Korsmeyer's seminal contribution and his follow-up discoveries changed our view of the pathophysiology of cancer. "The recognition of apoptosis' primary role in cancer was a major insight that profoundly affected how we thought about cell death and survival," said Douglas Green of the University of California, San Diego. For his trailblazing research Stan was elected to the American Philosophical Society, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His many honors included the BristolMeyers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research, the General Motors Mott Award, the first Wiley Foundation Prize in Biomedical Science, the Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award, the Louisa Gross Horovitz Prize of Columbia University, and, as an example of his citizenship, the Harvard Mentoring Award. Stan left NIH to join the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis, where he rose to become director of the Division of Medical Oncology and professor of medicine. For the past nineteen years he was an investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. "He was everybody's hero-as a scientist and as a human being," said Robert Horvitz of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an eminent scientist, Nobel laureate, and close friend. …


Abstract The Miocene epoch was a time of major change in the East African Rift System (EARS) as forest habitats were transformed into grasslands and hominids appeared in the landscape. Here we provide new sedimentological and palynological data on the middle–upper Miocene Ngorora Formation (Tugen Hills, Central Kenya Rift, EARS), together with clay mineral characterizations, mammal finds and a description of the Ngorora fish Lagerstätte. Furthermore, we introduce a revised age of c. 13.3 Ma for the onset of the Ngorora Formation. The older part of the Ngorora Formation (c. 13.3–12 Ma) records low-energy settings of lakes, floodplains and palaeosols, and evidence of analcime indicates that lakes were alkaline. The palynomorph spectrum consists of tree pollen (Juniperus, Podocarpus), Euphorbiaceae pollen (Acalypha, Croton) and herbaceous pollen of Poaceae and Asteraceae, suggestive of wooded grasslands or grassy woodlands. Alkaline lakes, floodplains and palaeosols continue upsection (c. 12–9 Ma), but environmental fluctuations become more dynamic. Paucity of palynomorphs and the presence of an equid may point to progressively drier conditions. A total of about 500 articulated fish fossils were recovered from distinctive layers of almost all sections studied and represent different lineages of the Haplotilapiines (Pseudocrenilabrinae, Cichlidae). Some of the fish kills may be attributable to rapid water acidification and/or asphyxiation by episodic ash falls. Repeated instances of abrupt change in water depth in many sections are more likely to be due to synsedimentary tectonic activity of the Central Kenya Rift than to climatic variation. Overall, the preservation of the Ngorora fish Lagerstätte resulted from the interplay of tectonics, formation of alkaline lakes and explosive volcanism. As records of grasslands that pre-date late Miocene time are rare, our finding of middle Miocene (12–13 Ma) grassy savannah in the Central Kenya Rift is also relevant to models of human evolution in East Africa.


Recent efforts to forge a consensus on the role developing countries should play in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions have focused attention on climate friendly technologies (CFTs), most notably those that enhance energy efficiency. In the medium term, the effectiveness of technology-based climate strategies will depend critically on the rates at which CFTs diffuse in developing countries. This paper reviews some of the key findings of the economics research on technology diffusion and assesses the implications for climate policy. The most obvious lessons from this research are that widespread diffusion of CFTs may take decades, and that diffusion rates in developing and industrialized countries are likely to be quite different. In addition, the literature has implications for a number of strategies for promoting technology diffusion including information dissemination, factor price rationalization, and investment in human capital.


Slow moving Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) such as gliders typically run missions that take several days to weeks. When such vehicles are operating in coastal regions it is important to plan paths that avoid areas with high ship trafc. In previous work we proposed a minimumrisk method which can plan safe paths for gliders if the ocean currents are much slower than the speed of the glider. Unfortunately, ocean currents are usually strong enough to inuence the times of ight of gliders, such that they may experience very different routes and times of travel than those planned statically a priori. This results in vehicles surfacing in regions which may be high risk. In this paper, we propose a novel method of risk-averse planning which uses a predictive ocean model to plan a path that minimizes risk in the presence of ocean currents subject to constraints on the maximum time between consecutive surfacing locations and the total length of the path. We solve this problem by constructing a timeexpanded network and nding the minimum cost path from the source node to the goal node. Our algorithm nds a resource constrained path which exploits the ocean current eld while surfacing in low-risk areas. We discuss the results obtained in eld experiments in the Southern California Bight to evaluate our algorithm.


Increasingly severe I/O bottlenecks on High-End Computing machines are prompting scientists to process output data during simulation time, "in-situ", and before placing data on disks. This paper argues for flexibility in the implementation of such in-situ data analytics, using measurements and a performance model that demonstrate the potential advantages and limitations of performing analytics at different levels of the I/O hierarchy, including on a machine's compute nodes vs. on separate "staging" nodes dedicated to analysis tasks. Model and measurement results are guided by realistic large-scale applications running on leadership class machines, and I/O and analytics actions are described as computational dataflow graphs -- termed I/O graphs -- that combine data movement with 'in transit' operations on data as it is being moved across the I/O hierarchy. Results demonstrate the importance of flexibility in analytics placement and characterize the attributes of analytics operations that lead to different placement decisions.


Recent studies have revealed that Americans do not possess the level of religious literacy necessary to make sense of a multicultural world. Believing that public schools are institutions of ideological management, this research explored religious literacy among pre-service teachers of English and History/Social Studies. The specific research questions for this study were: 1) What is the level of basic religious knowledge among pre-service teachers of History and English? 2) Do pre-service teachers of History and English demonstrate higher-level thinking skills as relates to religion in public life? and 3) What knowledge do pre-service teachers of History and English demonstrate when confronted with a discipline specific section from a standard North Carolina textbook or an interdisciplinary text dealing with religious knowledge?

The results revealed that only pre-service teachers with higher scores in basic religious knowledge did well in areas demanding higher level thinking skills. The study also revealed a decline in the ability to apply religious knowledge to the modalities of contemporary life or to the evaluation of textbooks. The study found that less than 5% of pre-service teachers are prepared to address religion in the classroom, although 80% believed they had been prepared.


As high-dimensional and high-frequency data are being collected on a large scale, the development of new statistical models is being pushed forward. Functional data analysis provides the required statistical methods to deal with large-scale and complex data by assuming that data are continuous functions, e.g., a realization of a continuous process (curves) or continuous random fields (surfaces), and that each curve or surface is considered as a single observation. Here, we provide an overview of functional data analysis when data are complex and spatially correlated. We provide definitions and estimators of the first and second moments of the corresponding functional random variable. We present two main approaches: The first assumes that data are realizations of a functional random field, i.e., each observation is a curve with a spatial component. We call them 'spatial functional data'. The second approach assumes that data are continuous deterministic fields observed over time. In this case, one observation is a surface or manifold, and we call them 'surface time series'. For the two approaches, we describe software available for the statistical analysis. We also present a data illustration, using a high-resolution wind speed simulated dataset, as an example of the two approaches. The functional data approach offers a new paradigm of data analysis, where the continuous processes or random fields are considered as a single entity. We consider this approach to be very valuable in the context of big data.


Angiosperms, the flowering plants, provide the essential resources for human life, such as food, energy, oxygen, and materials. They also promoted the evolution of human, animals, and the planet earth. Despite the numerous advances in genome reports or sequencing technologies, no review covers all the released angiosperm genomes and the genome databases for data sharing. Based on the rapid advances and innovations in the database reconstruction in the last few years, here we provide a comprehensive review for three major types of angiosperm genome databases, including databases for a single species, for a specific angiosperm clade, and for multiple angiosperm species. The scope, tools, and data of each type of databases and their features are concisely discussed. The genome databases for a single species or a clade of species are especially popular for specific group of researchers, while a timely-updated comprehensive database is more powerful for address of major scientific mysteries at the genome scale. Considering the low coverage of flowering plants in any available database, we propose construction of a comprehensive database to facilitate large-scale comparative studies of angiosperm genomes and to promote the collaborative studies of important questions in plant biology.


This paper describes a framework for creating a structured series of levels of building automation. It is designed to allow buildings to acquire intelligence about their own systems and equipment and to gradually obtain control of themselves. This allows planners, users, owners and other actors in the planning, construction and use to view and understand the building's operations and performance at many levels. The framework has five horizontal levels and three communication streams. Each level implies a degree of automation with the scale shifting from the mechanization at the bottom to intelligence at the top. The levels describe (bottom to top) the physical object, their representation as data, the history of the data, the processes to analyse and model the histories, and at the highest level, the ability to learn from this analysis to predict, model and plan future building behaviour. Information moves among these levels in an upstream path as well as in a downstream path. The upstream path describes how sensor information is curated to create logs that, using the IFC structure, create semantic histories. In the downstream path, the histories are measured against simulations and model-based predictions to create use-models and potential event sequences. The event sequences then become the instruction sets for the actuators and equipment in the building. Once these are carried out, the effects then feed the sensor data back upstream. In this way, a cycle of information both upstream and downstream feeds a system that can learn. The paper also describes the third stream of communication. This, at each level of the framework, shows how information given to people can be categorized in a scale of increasingly sentient perception. This denotes how the different levels allow users to perceive the building as a purely mechanistic process at the lowest level and as a sentient being at the highest level.


Traditional oral dosage forms prone to first pass metabolism and degradation due to enzymes but mucoadhesive films able to bypass first pass metabolism and related degradation. It also offers more patient compliance without risk of chocking in case of paediatric and geriatric patients. Present review has summarised basics of mucoadhesion, composition, method of preparation, characterisation parameters, advantages and disadvantages of buccal mucoadhesive films.


Background More than 35 million people in developing countries are living with HIV infection. An enormous global effort is now underway to bring antiretroviral treatment to at least 3 million of those infected. While drug prices have dropped considerably, the cost and technical complexity of laboratory tests essential for the management of HIV disease, such as CD4 cell counts, remain prohibitive. New, simple, and affordable methods for measuring CD4 cells that can be implemented in resource-scarce settings are urgently needed. Methods and Findings Here we describe the development of a prototype for a simple, rapid, and affordable method for counting CD4 lymphocytes. Microliter volumes of blood without further sample preparation are stained with fluorescent antibodies, captured on a membrane within a miniaturized flow cell and imaged through microscope optics with the type of charge-coupled device developed for digital camera technology. An associated computer algorithm converts the raw digital image into absolute CD4 counts and CD4 percentages in real time. The accuracy of this prototype system was validated through testing in the United States and Botswana, and showed close agreement with standard flow cytometry (r = 0.95) over a range of absolute CD4 counts, and the ability to discriminate clinically relevant CD4 count thresholds with high sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion Advances in the adaptation of new technologies to biomedical detection systems, such as the one described here, promise to make complex diagnostics for HIV and other infectious diseases a practical global reality.


This paper aims to define the control exerted by geological setting on the evolution and segmentation of the Montaguto earth flow in Southern Italy. A detailed geological survey and multi-temporal maps were used to reconstruct the geological model of La Montagna Mt. and to quantify the evolution of the flow in terms of sediment pulse formation, movement direction and spatial change in earth-flow area. The spatial distribution of structural fabric of the mountainside was compared with (1) planar geometry of earth-flow source area, (2) orientation of strike-slip faults bounding the earth-flow moving core (i.e. movement direction) and (3) kinematic-zone position and extent. We infer that the evolution of the earth flow is controlled by geological structures and lithology. Moreover, the entire basal-slip surface is composed of newly formed basal-slip surface in the source area, and corresponds to pre-earth-flow topography downslope from the neck. Implications of our work are that (1) a detailed geological model of an unstable mountainside, combined with information about earth-flow spatial evolution, might be considered as a tool that allows the localization of areas of possible earth-flow enlargement and (2) geological structures constrain earth-flow movement, inducing a predictable seasonal behaviour in terms of movement direction.


Objectives HIV diagnoses among men who have sex with men (MSM) in several high-income countries, including Australia, have increased substantially over recent years. Australia, in line with global prevention strategies, has emphasised a 'test and treat' HIV prevention strategy which relies on timely detection of HIV through frequent testing by those at risk. We examined trends in repeat testing among MSM defined as 'high-risk' according to Australian testing guidelines. Methods HIV test records from MSM attending high caseload clinics in Melbourne 2007–2013 and classified as high-risk were analysed. Binary outcomes of 'test within 3 months' and 'test within 6 months' were assigned to tests within individuals' panel of records. Negative binomial regressions assessed trends in overall HIV testing and returning within 3 and 6 months. Annualised proportions of return tests (2007–2012) were compared using two-sample z tests. Results Across 18 538 tests among 7117 high-risk MSM attending primary care clinics in Melbourne (2007–2013), the number of annual HIV tests increased (p<0.01). Between 2007 and 2012 annualised proportions of tests with a subsequent test within 3 and 6 months also increased (p<0.01); however, by 2012 only 36.4% and 15.1% of tests were followed by another test inside 6 and 3 months, respectively. Conclusions Repeat testing among high-risk MSM in Australia remains unacceptably low, with recent modest increases in testing unlikely to deliver meaningful prevention impact. Removing known barriers to HIV testing is needed to maximise the potential benefit of test and treat-based HIV prevention.


The schedulability testing for the deferrable scheduling algorithm for fixed priority transactions (DS-FP) remainsan open problem since its introduction. In this paper, wetake the first step towards investigating necessary and sufficient conditions for the DS-FP schedulability. We propose a necessary and sufficient schedulability condition for the algorithm in discrete time systems, and prove its correctness. Based on this condition, we propose a schedulability test algorithm that is more accurate than the existing test that is only based on a sufficient condition. Our algorithm exploits the fact that there is always a repeating pattern in a DS-FP schedule in discrete time systems. We demonstrate through examples that our schedulability test algorithm outperforms the existing algorithm in terms of accuracy.


Ivy Compton-Burnett's inter-war novels have rarely been closely considered in relation to that period's dominant sociocultural paradigms. Counteracting the existing critical tendency to consider her work as eccentric and a-historical, this thesis situates the novels within a succession of aesthetic, political, and social discourses in order to foreground their radical reshaping of prevailing modes of thought and expression. Compton-Burnett's mordant chronicles of family life typify inter-war literary culture's rejection of its Victorian and Edwardian heritage and its critique of their lingering post-war presence through an examination of apparently defunct conservative and increasingly nostalgic constructions of individual and national identity.
The thesis is constructed in two parts; the first considering the broad cultural positioning of her work, the second focussing more closely upon its interaction with specific literary, commercial, and sociological models. Beginning with Compton-Burnett's
juvenile novel Dolores, I will consider the relation between her early education and reading and the evolution of her mature literary style by tracing an emergent comic subversion of the melodramatic plots of nineteenth-century fiction which culminated in an idiosyncratic form of neo-Victorianism. The following chapter examines her work's early critical reception, its alignment with certain precepts of modernist form associated with a Post-Impressionist Bloomsbury aesthetic, and the adumbration of a specifically 'high-brow' identity.
Building upon this foundation, the subsequent chapters consider Compton-Burnett's work thematically in terms of: late twenties and early thirties constructions of gender and sexuality in a climate of censorship and coincident taste for literary deviance; the Golden Age detective novel and psychological investigations of violence and criminality; and the English country house as a site of cultural and historical fragmentation. Together, these chapters reconstruct an essentially avant-garde
identity which the author's perceived focus upon middle-class domesticity, her longevity and incremental inscription as a minor British institution have in recent decades eroded.


Abstract Metal additive manufacturing (AM) improves the design flexibility of titanium aluminides (TiAl-based alloys) as a new class of high-temperature alloys towards widespread applications. In this work, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the site-specific thermal history and grain evolution during laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of TiAl-based alloys are investigated through an integrated computational and experimental effort. In specific, a multiphysics modeling framework integrating a finite element thermal model with a highly efficient phase-field method is developed to simulate the solidification microstructure at different locations within the melt pool during LPBF processing. The investigation of process-microstructure relationship is accomplished using a Ti-45Al (at.%) alloy for a binary approximation, with a focus on site-specific primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) and non-equilibrium microsegregation. The microstructural sensitivity to spatial variations, individual processing parameters, and misorientation angle between the preferred crystalline orientation and the temperature gradient direction are studied to thoroughly understand the rapid solidification during LPBF. LPBF experiments are carried out to validate the modeling results in terms of melt pool dimensions and site-specific PDAS across the melt pool. The knowledge gained in this work will benefit the development of AM processing routine for fabrication of high-performance TiAl-based alloys towards extensive applications.


A critical review of the levels of persistence organic chemicals in Malaysian waters from 1980 to 2002. This review concentrated on the detection several toxic substances by groups of scientists in the marine environment, evaluated their quantities and provides estimates of their potential danger for the health of both marine life and humans. The compounds include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, tributyl-tin and pesticides. In summary, the levels of some persistent organic chemicals is lower compared with other Southeast Asia countries and the levels in this region still at the medium level compared with more urbanized and industrialized regions in the West. Nevertheless, continuous monitoring and investigations on the level of the persistent organic chemicals are needed in Malaysia. Transboundary pollution potential should be taken as an important consideration in any development project especially in Southeast Asia.


Prolonged postpartum anestrus is a major concern in Bos indicus breeds. Sistani cattle is an Iranian Bos indicus beef breed with more than 5000 years of history in the northwest part of Iran, Sistan. This breed is well adapted to the harsh, arid environment, which includes 120 days of hot winds. Small holders in the Sistan region use Sistani cattle for both meat and milk. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of frequency of milking on the postpartum events in this breed. Healthy Sistani cattle (n = 41) with 3.3 ± 0.3 parity and normal parturition were randomly assigned to 3 groups after parturition and were monitored for 3 months. Cows in Groups 1 and 2 were milked once (n = 15) or twice (n = 14) per day, respectively. The control (n = 12) cows were not milked. All cows were allowed to be suckled by their calves once per day. Throughout the 3 months of monitoring after calving, blood samples were collected weekly and assayed for progesterone using RIA. Standing estrus was detected every day at 0700, 1400, and 2100 h. The first rise in progesterone after calving was considered when it was above 1.5 ng/mL. Data were analyzed using GLM procedure in SAS (SAS Institute, Cary, NC). There was no significant difference in the variables measured among groups (P > 0.05); therefore, the data were pooled (Table 1). The number of estrus, the day of the first estrus, and the first rise in progesterone after calving were 2.9 ± 1.42, 31.2 ± 1.77, and 38.8 ± 2.20, respectively (Table 1). Average number of service per conception (1.6 ± 0.12) and days open (94.4 ± 7.63) in Sistani cattle may be considered to be superior reproductive indices to those reported in the majority of Bos indicus breeds. In conclusion, once-daily or twice-daily milking did not influence postpartum reproductive indices of Sistani cattle, indicating that twice-daily milking may be advised to enhance the profitability of small holders. In Sistani cattle, ovarian activity and estrous behavior resumed fairly soon after partition, allowing for earlier conception in this breeds. Table 1.Postpartum reproductive indices of Sistani cattle with varying frequencies of milking This research was funded by the Research Deputy of the University of Tehran and Animal Science Research Institute.


INTRODUCTION
Portugal is experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020. All-causes mortality in Portugal increased during March and April 2020 compared to previous years, but this increase is not explained by COVID-19 reported deaths. The aim of this study was to analyze and consider other criteria for estimating excessive all-cause mortality during the early COVID-19 pandemic period.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Public data was used to estimate excess mortality by age and region between March 1 and April 22, proposing baselines adjusted for the lockdown period.

RESULTS
Despite the inherent uncertainty, it is safe to assume an observed excess mortality of 2400 to 4000 deaths. Excess mortality was associated with older age groups (over age 65).

DISCUSSION
The data suggests a ternary explanation for early excess mortality: COVID-19, non-identified COVID-19 and decrease in access to healthcare. The estimates have implications in terms of communication of non-pharmaceutical actions, for research, and to healthcare professionals.

CONCLUSION
The excess mortality occurred between March 1 and April 22 was 3 to 5 fold higher than what can be explained by the official COVID-19 deaths.


This research study evaluates and anticipates the most prominent orientation that are likely to shape the entrepreneurial intentions of the Saudi youth, especially the university graduates, where we find most of them are looking for stable jobs more than their creating private businesses despite the increasing unemployment due to the large number of graduates every year which makes it impossible to create job opportunities for all. It appears on Kingdom's Vision 2030 which bets on the sector's revival. In this study, we will attempt to explain why students are reluctant to choose their own jobs as a career. This study was based on analytical descriptive technique and quantitative statistical method to monitor the most important factors affecting the entrepreneurial intentions and to identify the reasons for this reluctance for students of the faculty of business (business administration and accounting track) at Majmaah University. The result showed that the variable fear of failure is the most influential influence on the entrepreneurial intentions, and followed by the lack of having cultural entrepreneur and the lack of awareness of the existence of mechanisms of assistance and accompaniment that can help them at a beginning of the life cycle of their projects. The other changes didn't have a significant effect on the entrepreneurial intentions.


Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is due primarily to one of three common point mutations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), but the incomplete penetrance implicates additional genetic or environmental factors in the pathophysiology of the disorder. Both the 11778G-->A and 14484T-->C LHON mutations are preferentially found on a specific mtDNA genetic background, but 3460G-->A is not. However, there is no clear evidence that any background influences clinical penetrance in any of these mutations. By studying 3,613 subjects from 159 LHON-affected pedigrees, we show that the risk of visual failure is greater when the 11778G-->A or 14484T-->C mutations are present in specific subgroups of haplogroup J (J2 for 11778G-->A and J1 for 14484T-->C) and when the 3460G-->A mutation is present in haplogroup K. By contrast, the risk of visual failure is significantly less when 11778G-->A occurs in haplogroup H. Substitutions on MTCYB provide an explanation for these findings, which demonstrate that common genetic variants have a marked effect on the expression of an ostensibly monogenic mtDNA disorder.