This paper is devoted to the analysis of Deep Level Transient Spectroscopy (DLTS) of the background deep levels in GaAs p+-p-i-n-n+ structures. It is known that A and B centers are observed in epitaxial layers of GaAs, grown by LPE in a hydrogen atmosphere. These two deep acceptor levels determine the minority carrier lifetime and the reverse recovery time (trr) of rectifying devices respectively. The necessary switching time of GaAs rectifying devices is achieved by regulating the concentrations and the profile of A and B traps in pin layer. For undoped GaAs pin-structures with a thick i-layer, there is a problem in determining the direction of motion of the space charge boundaries upon application of reverse voltage to the diode structure. The boundary of the space charge region can propagate through i-layer and be displaced in pand n-layer. To ensure the reliability of statistical significance were treated great number (appr.100 pc.) chips, provided for the experiment. Chips were divided into groups according to their technological features of production. The presented spectra exhibit evidence of the presence of deep levels of the hole and electron type in all samples. But within each group, the configuration of the spectra is similar. And for each configuration correspond a certain set of output parameter characteristic. This will provide an opportunity for express DLTS control of the finished product and can be realized in on-line monitoring of the LPE process in order to optimize the dynamic characteristics of the devices.


While the relationship between coyotes (Canis latrans) and house cats (Felis catus) may be characterized as one between predators and their prey, coyote interactions with domestic dogs (C. lupus familiaris) appear to be more varied and may include behaviors associated with canid sociality. While encounters between coyotes and dogs are diffi cult to observe, we capitalized on publicly available video recordings of coyote–dog encounters to observe canid behaviors and examined 35 video clips downloaded from YouTube during fall 2014. We identifi ed coyote–dog interactions that were playful, agonistic, or predatory; those that we could not clearly categorize were labeled as other/undetermined. We found that both species were recorded directing play to the other species, which led to mutual play bouts. We observed a similar number of agonistic encounters, which included dogs biting coyotes and coyotes biting dogs. The main diff erence in agonistic behavior was that coyotes usually showed defensive aggression while dogs did not show defensive aggression. We also observed coyotes ambushing and bite-shaking small dogs in 3 video clips, from which the dogs escaped, but we did not see predatory behavior of dogs toward coyotes. Dog size may be related to types of interactions. No small dogs were involved in agonistic interactions, and only 1 small dog was observed playing with a coyote. From these videos, we conclude that the relationship between coyotes and dogs cannot be simply described as predator–prey; indeed, much of it appears to be social behavior divided between playful and agonistic. Future work that aims to explain the proximate correlates of play and aggression would provide more information for managers who wish to educate humans to reduce human–wildlife confl icts.


Acute urinary retention (AUR) is characterised by the sudden and painful inability to pass urine and is common in older men. It causes significant morbidity, frequently results in emergency hospital admission and often requires surgery. The aim of this thesis was to investigate ways of improving the management of men with AUR.
The Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database of the Department of Health was used to investigate mortality after AUR. In 100,067 men with spontaneous AUR, the one year mortality was 4.1% in men aged 45-54 and 32.8% in those aged 85 and over. In men with spontaneous AUR aged 75-84, the most prevalent age group, the one year mortality was 12.5% in men without comorbidity and 28.8% in men with comorbidity.
The importance of comorbidity on mortality of men with AUR prompted the development of The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS) Charlson Score to improve comorbidity identification in HES. The RCS Charlson Score uses an explicit coding philosophy that is simple to use, more accurate than existing adaptations of the Charlson Score, reflects the current understanding of the prognostic impact of comorbidity and allows international comparisons.
Given that many men with AUR are elderly, have significant comorbidity and therefore have a high risk of death, minimally invasive treatment alternatives to surgery for AUR were evaluated. Systematic literature review defined the role of prostatic stents as an effective treatment for frail and elderly men. Although only observational data were available a specifically developed checklist to assess methodological quality gave context to the findings.
This thesis demonstrates that the management of AUR must focus not only on the prostate but also on the patient's overall health status. The urologist should adopt a holistic approach when assessing and treating men with AUR to ensure the best possible outcomes.


The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical study over enterprise risk management. For this, the paper has reviewed theoretical and empirical literature in management of risk. Theoretical literature depicts that no theory can explain about the risk management techniques alone. While empirical literature providesthe importance of enterprise risk management to be used in the organization for managing the risk, exist in portfolio structure of the organization. The paper besides that also provides theoretical and empirical literature and depicts about the effect on working of the organization by implementing the enterprise risk management. The paper has discussed many theories on the implications on organization. The paper briefly discusses about how the performance of organization structure, firm value, default risk perspective, and disclosure requirement would be affected due to implication of enterprise risk management model. The paper has discussed the importance of techniques like correlation, descriptive analysis and regression analysis. At last, the paper provides some recommendations, due to inconsistency in provided theories. For this, the paper considers present and future market conditions to lead to more development in enterprise risk management.


The CERN-OPERA neutrino experiment at the Gran Sasso Laboratory obtained a measurement, vn, of the muon neutrino velocity with respect to the speed of light, c, of (vn-c)/c = (2.48 ± 0.28 (stat.) ± 0.30 (sys.)) ×10 -5 . The neutrino flight path from CERN to OPERA was established using distances and timings based on "round-trip" light speed signals. These are incommensurate with the reference frame dependent "one-way" flight times of neutrinos over the same path. We perform a Lorentz transformation to demonstrate the frame-dependence of the result. We conclude that an Earth system (ES) reference frame defined by a timing system which assumes isotropic light speed, such as the UTC, is not able to support experiments requiring accurate one-way light speed measurement. We hypothesise that vn = c and consider the 2.7K CMB as a possible candidate for the isotropic frame of reference where round-trip and one-way light speeds are equal. On this basis we find that the CERN-OPERA experiment would be expected to measure deviations in neutrino arrival times compared to the expected light speed transmission of up to ±~2ns/km of neutrino flight path, but usually of less magnitude and with a bias towards early arrival. Only the N-S component (relative to the Earth's axis) of the motion of the neutrino flight path relative to the isotropic frame would be statistically significant in the CERN-OPERA experiment. Assuming no bias in the mean of the other components of the experiment's motion against the isotropic frame in the neutrino timing, because of the Earth's rotation and orbit, we find a mean early neutrino arrival time of ~113ns would be expected were the CMB the isotropic frame. That is, the potential error is of the same order as the early arrival time of the neutrinos of (60.7 ± 6.9 (stat.) ± 7.4 (sys.)) ns, suggesting further analysis of possible sources of deviation from our theoretical estimate may be worthwhile. We propose further statistical methods to test the hypotheses that vn = c and that the CMB represents the isotropic frame, using the existing OPERA neutrino velocity measurement data.


Many spectacular cases of biological diversity are associated with sexual selection, and structures under sexual selection often show positive static allometry: they are disproportionately large for the size of the animal's body in larger individuals. Other sexually selected structures, however, show negative allometry or isometry. Theory fails to account for this variation and recent summaries do not agree regarding the frequency of positive allometry in sexually selected structures. We propose explanations for why sexually selected structures with different functions (courtship, threat signals, and weapons) should differ in allometry. Positive allometry is predicted for threat structures (including most weapons) because larger individuals tend to win fights and threat signals are used to avoid unwinnable fights with larger opponents, the reproductive payoffs for contests tend to be higher for larger males, and discriminating the sizes of relatively larger traits requires greater absolute differences due to Weber's Law of sensory physiology. Male courtship signals, in contrast, convey many types of information, much of which is not consistently related to male size, so positive allometry is expected less often. We tested these predictions empirically by comparing the allometries of male structures with relatively "pure" functions. Our predictions were confirmed, thus helping to explain differences in previous empirical surveys.


As
   technology
   progresses,
   we
   become
   surrounded
  with
   an
   ever
   increasing number
   of
   devices.
  Information
   can
   now
   be
   persistently
   represented
   beyond
   a single
   screen
   and
   a
   single
   session.
   In
   the
   educational
   context,
   we
   see
   a
   rapid adoption
  of
  the
  panoply
  of
  devices,
  but
  often
  without
  any
  careful
  thought.
  Devices
  in isolation
  are
  unlikely
  to
  enable
  effective
  learning. This
   research
   explores
   how
   devices
   function
   in
   technological
   display
   and
   device ecologies
   or
   ecosystems
   to
   support
   human
   thinking,
   learning
   and
   sensemaking. Based
  on
  the
  theories
  of
  Vygotsky's
  sign
  mediation
  triangle,
  we
  contribute
  a
  method that
  may
  allow
  one
  to
  evaluate
  how
  technology
  configurations
  support
  (or
  hinder) students'
   thinking.
  Our
  method
  proposes
  the
  concept
  of
  objectification
  as
  a
  way
  to identify
  the
  potential
  or
  opportunity
  for
  learning
  in
  technology
  ecologies. The
   significance
   of
   such
   an
   evaluation
   methodology
   is
   considerable,
   given
   the nascent
   field
   of
   sensemaking
   and
   the
   lack
   of
   consensus
   on
   evaluation
   in
   such contexts:
   our
   research
   advances
   a
   principled
   approach
   by
  which
  device
   ecologies can
  be
   examined
   for
   their
   potential
   to
   provide
   'learning
  experiences',
   and
   enables one
   to
   articulate
   affordances
   for
   the
   design
   of
   technological
   spatial
   environments that
   can
   help
   to
   support
   higher
   thought.
   Our
   contribution
   thus
   is
   in
   terms
   of methodology,
  theory,
  evaluation
  and
  the
  design
  of
  technology
  ecologies.


Concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and government regulations foster the use of electric vehicles. Several recently published articles study the use of electric vehicles (EVs) in node-routing problems. In contrast, this article considers EVs in the context of arc routing while also addressing practically relevant aspects that have not been addressed sufficiently so far. These include dynamic charging of EVs while driving, speed-dependent energy consumption, and nonlinear charging functions that depend on the battery's state of charge and the charging time. A generic way of dealing with these aspects is introduced through the concept of an energy-indexed graph, which is used to derive an integer linear programming formulation and a solution framework based on branch and cut. Efficient construction heuristics and a local search for approximately solving large-scale instances are proposed. A computational study is performed on realistic problem instances. Besides analyzing the performance of all proposed methods, the obtained results also provide insights into strategic decisions related to the battery size and the amount of charging facilities.


The New Testament Made Harder is a book that collects study questions that follow the Gospel Doctrine reading schedule. The book contains very little commentary and does not provide answers to the questions posed. The main objective is not to provide information, but rather to encourage students of the New Testament to think more deeply about what they are reading. For those who are willing to put forth the effort, they will find this book to be a helpful tool in learning to analyze the scriptures more closely. "Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers." — Voltaire A philosopher is that rare variety of individual who seems more interested in asking questions than in finding answers. Of course, great teachers have discovered that a love of wisdom is often best cultivated not through the mere conveyance of information but through the individual struggle for knowledge. That struggle often begins with a question. It is sometimes said that the restoration of the gospel began with a question. Indeed, it would seem that most human insight and even revelation from God starts at least with curiosity and more often still, with deep, penetrating questions. Questions often arise through the conflicts of life and through experiencing a crisis. And when we do not encounter opposition, we often do not contemplate important questions. However, an insightful philosopher can push us toward thinking more deeply about things and learning even when we are in a comfortable state of complacency. For example, how many times have we glossed over [Page 256]the scriptures in a repetitive pattern of daily reading without feeling the growth that comes during those times that we are really struggling for answers? How often have we sat contentedly in a Gospel Doctrine class without absorbing any new insight because we were neither challenged by the teacher nor by ourselves with probing questions? In The New Testament Made Harder, philosophy professor James E. Faulconer confronts us with questions calculated to prod us out of our routine study of the scriptures. He explains in his introduction that good questions can force us to reconsider what we thought we already knew and lead to more questions (p. xi). He states the further goal of moving classroom discussion beyond the typical questions that we have all heard before and to which everyone in class already knows the answers into the realm of deeper contemplation (p. xiii). The New Testament Made Harder is the last in a series of books that follow the four-year Gospel Doctrine study cycle and are meant as study aids for students and teachers as they prepare for Sunday lessons. These scripture study questions are part of a series of such questions that Faulconer first started posting in the Times and Seasons blog in 2003 and which were later re-posted in the Feast Upon the Word blog. For the most part, there is no material in the book that cannot also be found in the blog posts, apart from a few additions and deletions here and there. So it is clear that the author has reviewed his earlier work and has made changes. Faulconer explained when he began posting the study questions at Times and Seasons that the questions came from notes he would hand out to class members in his ward covering the reading for the next week. He did so as a way to help members of his class to think more deeply about the upcoming material. Fortunately, he kept the practice going through all four years of the Gospel Doctrine curriculum. This final volume in the series is the culmination of that effort. A Treasure Trove of Questions Steven T. Densley, Jr. Page 2/3 10/12/2019 https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/a-treasure-trove-of-questions/ The title itself stands in playful contrast to the Scriptures Made Easier series, authored by David J. Ridges and published by Cedar Fort, beginning in 2004. It is appealing to us to think that we can gain great insights with little effort. My own father used to tell me, when I was showing signs of a desire to skip some hard work, that "some people want to arrive without having made the trip." And while I have not read any of the Scriptures Made Easier books — they might be very good — I [Page 257]understand the inclination we all have to simply be given answers. In contrast, Faulconer wants us to struggle with the questions first. One might ask whether the changes to the blog posts and the collection of those posts into book form make it worthwhile to purchase the book. For me, personally, it is worth it, but perhaps just barely. I have used the blog posts for years in preparing lessons. There are some things that can be done more easily with a book than with a blog post on a screen. I can jump around between pages, make notes, and leave bookmarks in a bound volume easier than I can with a blog. And, of course, a book can be used offline. Unfortunately, the publisher has not taken full advantage of the book format. For example, there is no subject and scripture index. There is also no bibliography or works-cited section. And while there is an endnotes section, the sources cited therein are sparse. In a book of over five hundred pages, one might expect to see more than eight pages of endnotes that pertain to only about half of the chapters. In some respects, these features that would otherwise be expected are not really necessary in this book. If one wants to find questions about a particular verse, it is not too difficult to determine whether or not the verse is discussed in the main body of the text. Furthermore, there are not really very many sources that are referenced. The book overwhelmingly consists of questions, and although there is some commentary, the book itself is not really meant to be a work of commentary. At times, the author comments on the translation of the New Testament and notes that he is providing his own translation of the material when he is not referencing the King James Version. At other times, he makes occasional references to "scholars" without indicating who these scholars are. Faulconer is a tremendous scholar and a great thinker. However, it would add even more gravitas to his book if we were able to use it as a tool not only to spark thought and discussion but also to spark further research and inquiry into the scholarly works upon which this particular book depends. And, of course, there are the lingering questions regarding whether or not Professor Faulconer's occasional representations of the "scholars" is accurate. Where there are no references, it is difficult to know. Furthermore, in the transition from blog to book, while there are a few changes to the text here and there, it is not noticeably improved. What's more, there are occasional typographical errors sprinkled throughout the text that could have been corrected with a bit more careful editing. [Page 258]That brings us to the questions themselves. Many a student has sat in an introductory philosophy class becoming increasingly frustrated with the professor's asking questions without revealing answers. It can seem at times that the professor is playing some kind of cat-and-mouse game, enjoying watching the students squirm under the pressure of questions about justice, truth, beauty, and art. At some point, students may become frustrated at their own inability to grasp answers to seemingly simple questions. Another danger is that the students will decide that the professor simply does not know the answers. It can seem that the professor only knows how to ask questions but cannot provide enlightenment. Readers will perhaps experience both sensations as they read Faulconer's book. Of course, there are many times when questions lead to "ah-ha" moments and new insight is gained. That does not happen as often as one would hope. However, Faulconer seemed to anticipate this. In his introduction he suggests that in each set of questions a reader may only find "a question or two among them that you can use as foci for your lesson" (p. xii). Of course, as Faulconer observes, we have all sat in a Gospel Doctrine class when the teacher is A Treasure Trove of Questions Steven T. Densley, Jr. Page 3/3 10/12/2019 https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/a-treasure-trove-of-questions/ asking questions that no one wants to answer because they are too simple, too familiar (p. xiii). Faulconer aimed at providing a list of questions that readers typically have not considered. Some of the questions include the following: "Why does Mark begin with Jesus's baptism rather than with his birth?" (p. 85) "What does Jesus mean when he tells the Seventy not to greet people along the way?" (p. 161) "Why does Jesus do so many of his miracles on the Sabbath?" (p. 183) "What does it mean to walk in the Spirit?" (p. 357) "How does the phrase 'perfect law of liberty' contrast with the Pharisaic understanding of the Law?" (p. 465) As it is plain to see, these are questions that may elicit a variety of different although valid responses. They are questions that may lead to other questions and further discussion. And, of course, one can imagine a frustrated student turning to Professor Faulconer and asking, "So what are the answers to the questions?" And Professor Faulconer responding, "I don't know. But they are interesting questions, aren't they?"


Moodle is a virtual learning environment that is being used in more and more schools worldwide. It is ideal for teaching a younger age group as interactive lessons enable children to learn quicker and with greater ease.

Moodle 2 for Teaching 4-9 Year Olds Beginner's Guide will help you to adapt your existing lesson plans to online Moodle courses and will give you ideas to create new activities, quizzes, and puzzles to make the learning process fun and interactive for young children.


Objectives Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) has become ubiquitous in modern life and concern has increased regarding possible associated health effects. To date, assessment of occupational exposure has relied on job-exposure matrices, with exposure estimates for very broad occupational categories. To move EMF research forward, a new approach was necessary. A source-based strategy, incorporating detailed information on tasks, equipment used and work organisation could allow a more individualised exposure assessment. Method Information on occupational histories and sources of EMF was collected as part of the INTERPHONE-INTEROCC study, providing an opportunity to assess occupational EMF exposure by assigning exposure to each source used. A source-exposure matrix (SEM) was developed based on measurements identified in the literature and estimates obtained through experts' elicitation, for sources without available measurements. This paper focuses on the SEM development methodology to ensure the quality and representativeness of the estimates. Results Estimates of exposure for 138 EMF sources were obtained from measurements (1424 aggregated records) extracted from 71 papers and hygiene reports (1974–2013). For each source, exposure was calculated by frequency band and dosimetry type, as the arithmetic and geometric means of all measurements identified. Standard deviations were included in order to characterise the variability of the estimates. Conclusions A source-exposure matrix has been constructed for the most common sources of EMF in the workplace, based on the responses to the INTERPHONE-INTEROCC study questionnaire. This database currently represents the most comprehensive source of information on occupational EMF exposure and is available on request to researchers.


In recent years, debates over the social purpose of corporations have taken center stage amidst rising concern about externalities (such as those associated with climate change and harmful speech) generated by firms. A key motivation is the claim that government regulation and liability regimes appear not to be functioning sufficiently well to force firms to internalize these externalities. There is thus rising interest in exploring alternative mechanisms. In particular, a rapidly growing body of scholarship argues that index funds increasingly approximate diversified "universal owners" with incentives to maximize portfolio value (and thus to internalize cross-firm externalities). However, much of this analysis has focused on diffusely held US firms, while most firms in the world (including many important firms in the US), and many firms thought to be large contributors to these externalities, are controlled firms. Could index funds influence such firms to internalize externalities; if not, what other options might we consider? This paper examines these related questions within a more general conceptual framework for understanding how firms' ownership structure and corporate law affect the internalization of cross-firm externalities. First, we provide novel empirical evidence suggesting that index funds are not well positioned to force controlled firms to internalize their cross-firm externalities (in particular, that index funds' environmental engagements are concentrated among firms in countries with dispersed ownership structures). Second, we document that controlling shareholders are common among the largest firms in the energy, automobile, and technology sectors. Third, we explore the incentives of controllers by introducing the concept of "controller wealth concentration" (CWC): the fraction of a controller's aggregate personal wealth that consists of stock in the firm that she controls. The lower the CWC the more scope there is for the controller to hold investments in other firms affected by the externalities created by the controlled firm. A low CWC is a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for controllers to have a pecuniary incentive to take cross-firm externalities into account (indeed, controllers with low CWC may be more effective than index funds in getting controlled firms to internalize their externalities because of their status as controllers). Fourth, we construct measures of CWC for the controlling shareholders of a global sample of large technology-focused firms. For this sample, CWC is very high relative to that of a diversified portfolio, typically varying from about 50% to close to 100%, despite the existence of controlling minority ownership structures (CMS) – such as dual class stock – that permit controlling shareholders to exert control while holding modest cash flow rights. Thus, we conclude that undiversified controlling shareholders constitute a significant obstacle to the internalization of cross-firm externalities, limiting the ability of universal owners to encourage their investee firms to internalize such externalities. Are there then steps that can be taken to encourage controllers to diversify more? Our framework suggests that, in principle, dual class structures (and other CMS) have the hitherto ignored advantage of allowing controllers to diversify their personal wealth (thereby potentially mitigating cross-firm externalities). Yet, we find that controllers do not typically diversify and lower their CWC even when they maintain control through dual class structures or other CMS. We discuss possible reasons - including founders' over-optimism about their firms, the need to incentivize founders' ongoing effort, and founders' incentives to defer capital gains taxes – to explain why controllers fail to diversify. We then discuss other measures that might encourage controllers to diversify, but conclude that they are unlikely to have very large effects. Globally, a large fraction of corporations have controlled ownership structures. For these firms, the lack of controller diversification makes it difficult to identify mechanisms to internalize corporate externalities, besides increasing regulation and enhancing liability (although these solutions present their own challenges). Abstract In recent years, debates over the social purpose of corporations have taken center stage amidst rising concern about externalities (such as those associated with climate change and harmful speech) generated by firms. A key motivation is the claim that government regulation and liability regimes appear not to be functioning sufficiently well to force firms to internalize these externalities. There is thus rising interest in exploring alternative mechanisms. In particular, a rapidly growing body of scholarship argues that index funds increasingly approximate diversified "universal owners" with incentives to maximize portfolio value (and thus to internalize cross-firm externalities). However, much of this analysis has focused on diffusely held US firms, while most firms in the world (including many important firms in the US), and many firms thought to be large contributors to these externalities, are controlled firms. Could index funds influence such firms to internalize externalities; if not, what other options might we consider? This paper examines these related questions within a more general conceptual framework for understanding how firms' ownership structure and corporate law affect the internalization of cross-firm externalities. First, we provide novel empirical evidence suggesting that index funds are not well positioned to force controlled firms to internalize their cross-firm externalities (in particular, that index funds' environmental engagements are concentrated among firms in countries with dispersed ownership structures). Second, we document that controlling shareholders are common among the largest firms in the energy, automobile, and technology sectors. Third, we explore the incentives of controllers by introducing the concept of "controller wealth concentration" (CWC): the fraction of a controller's aggregate personal wealth that consists of stock in the firm that she controls. The lower the CWC the more scope there is for the controller to hold investments in other firms affected by the externalities created by the controlled firm. A low CWC is a necessary (though not sufficient) condition for controllers to have a pecuniary incentive to take cross-firm externalities into account (indeed, controllers with low


We studied 300 normotensive and 100 PE pregnancies divided into two subgroups: mild (�� = 67) and severe (�� = 33) PE. This research has included only single pregnancies and the following parameters: maternal age, parity, previous pregnancy history and interval between pregnancies. The study is based on 400 pregnancies with a mean age of 27.65±5.04 years. The significant difference in the frequency of categories and age groups was tested with a method of multivariate analysis for proportion. The difference was not statistically significant �� > 0.05, which clearly shows that the groups are a priori similar and comparable. Our study shows that PE is most commonly developed in primiparas (�� < 0.05). The difference was at the level �� < 0.001. Among women with no history of PE, the median interbirth interval was 4.24 years between the previous and actual pregnancy. Among women with mild PE the median interbirth interval was 5.96 and in group with severe PE was 8.08 years. Multiparous women who are pregnant 5, especially 10 years or more after their previous pregnancy are as likely to have preeclampsia as nulliparous women.


This study explores the institutional and regulatory obstacles to hospitality and tourism research in Switzerland and explains why scientific research is underdeveloped in Swiss hotel and tourism management schools. A case study approach is adopted to analyze the research practices pursued by Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne as a solution to combat the regulatory constraints in Swiss higher education. This study shows that the EHL experience can be an example for other Swiss hotel schools to follow, through developing academic research and innovation to consolidate hospitality and tourism education in the era of the experience economy.


This being a creative, not critical, project, there is no overall thesis to summarize here, and I am loath to offer a synopsis of the fiction, for to do so would pre-empt plot turns. However, I feel it would be useful for me to give a brief outline of the intentions and aspirations I had for the material before I began to write it. At the inception of this enterprise I had two main aims. First, I hoped to produce a creative writing thesis that, rather than consisting of separate critical and fictional components, was a ludic interweaving of theory and invention. To this end, I decided to structure the work as a kind of detournement of the annotated critical edition, situating a critical apparatus around my core work of fiction. Second, I wanted to examine the contestational potential of a literary mode often, sometimes correctly, maligned as a conservative genre – horror fiction. However, I did not want to follow the template of a number of transgressive horrors, which is simply to depict reason overthrown by a dark and terrible other, but wished to reappraise the overlooked possibilities of the form. I had no idea what these might be, but hoped to uncover them in the process of writing my thesis. In the event the project departed from the horror schema, but it remained a fundamental model, the tingling spine of the piece.

It was in the course of carrying out my second intention I came up against the central problem of the composition of this thesis. I became convinced horror is not just an amalgam of terror and revulsion, as dictionary definitions would have it, but must also include a component of the uncanny. While it is not easy to produce the first two emotional responses, it is at least obvious what means should be employed. The uncanny, however, is more elusive, and I had no clear idea how I might attempt to give rise to it. I decided instead to proceed by
intuition and the emulation of works that had produced an uncanny feeling in me. While writing it seemed to me I was producing a text capable of eliciting at least a faint thrill of strangeness, though I had no idea how I was doing so, and it was not until I was nearing the end of the project I realised what my unconscious method had been. Let me explain. On the 3rd March 2008, while in the midst of editing this thesis, I was reading, for respite from my own work, Iain Sinclair's novel Dining on Stones (2004), when I came upon the following passage:

My wild card is the little-known novel More Things in Heaven by Walter Owen. Owen […] lived for a time in Buenos Aires. He produced a sequence, linked narratives involving spontaneous combustion and a cursed manuscript, that seems in some ways to prefigure Borges (with a dash of M.R. James). Owen's book, difficult to find, has itself become a talisman, possession (unless it can be passed on to an unsuspecting recipient) conferring malfate, paranoid delusions, death. I rid myself of my original copy, but still have the second – which arrived, anonymously, as a barter against a bad debt. (Sinclair, 2005, p.407)

I was intrigued – both Borges and M.R. James had been reference points for me when composing my novel; furthermore, my book was also a sequence of linked narratives, and involved a cursed manuscript.
In Dining on Stones, the narrator, Andrew Norton, Sinclair's recurrent alter ego, goes on to quote some sections from 'More Things in Heaven…' (1947). Reading these, I noted a further similarity to my novel. Norton reproduces the following quotation from Owen's book, originally, in context, written by the narrator, 'gradually I found the conviction forming in my mind that the story they unfolded was not fiction but a narrative of factual events' – the crux of my tale comes at a point when one of its characters wonders whether a manuscript, which
comprises the bulk of the book, is a work of the imagination, or a faithful recording of incredible and dreadful events (Owen, 1947, p.12). Therefore, undeterred by Sinclair's claims of malign influence, on my next visit to the British Library, I ordered 'More Things in Heaven…'. On receiving it, a couple of days later – not being much in demand it was held in the library's off-site depository in Boston Spa, Yorkshire – I felt a frisson on opening the book and reading the first sentence: 'On the 14th July 1935 Mr Cornelius Letherbotham, an English gentleman resident in Buenos Aires, died under extraordinary and distressing circumstances,' (Owen, 1947, p.9). The reason I shuddered then will become clear on perusing the first paragraph of my novel:

On the 13th March 2005, the author Simon Peterkin, a hack horror writer, read only by obsessive fans of the genre, went missing. He had few friends and had become estranged from his only living relatives, a brother and sister. Therefore, it is doubtful his disappearance would have come to general notice, had it not been for the singular circumstances surrounding it.

Gripped by horrible fascination, I read on. 'More Things in Heaven...' is a strange, difficult, and at times abstruse work, filled with occult erudition and containing a number of virtuoso pastiches of historical documents. In many ways it is a novel that pre-empts the literary styles of later, postmodernist writers; with its linked tales, mysticism, and overarching narrative about a hermetic sect of 'Magi' under whose auspices human civilisation is directed, it is reminiscent of a work by Umberto Eco, or Thomas Pynchon. It is certainly a very enjoyable book. It is not surprising it did not find, and has never found, a general readership, however, for it contains a great number of esoteric terms and archaisms, its plot is incoherent to the extent that suspense is vitiated utterly, and it has a fustian quality reminiscent of the bombast of turn-of-the-twentieth-century mystics, and fustiness redolent of arcane impenetrable texts. And of course there are those tales of it 'conferring malfate, paranoid delusions, death…'

As I perused 'More Things in Heaven…', and researched Owen's life, more and more coincidences occurred to me. A character in my novel quotes the line from Shakespeare from which Owen took his title. Though Owen lived most of his life in Uruguay, he was born and educated in Glasgow; Glasgow University was the institute at which I chose to study for my doctorate. At one point in my novel the character producing the critical apparatus, James Anderson, writes in a footnote of his coming upon a book that has a strange resonance with the manuscript he is editing – an experience that mirrors mine in discovering 'More Things in Heaven…'. In the section of my thesis that purports to be an extract from the work Anderson discovers, reference is made to the US poet Robert W. Service, who attended the same school in Glasgow, Hillhead High, as Owen, a mere ten years before him. A further resonance is that Owen's protagonist, after an encounter with some eldritch thing, finds his right arm is afflicted:

A strange feature of my injuries was the condition of my right arm and hand. The sleeves of my shirt and jacket had completely disappeared, leaving my arm bare to the shoulder, and the arm itself was bloodless and shrivelled as if by prolonged immersion in water. (Owen, 1947, p.309)

In my novel, a character, after blundering into and touching with his outstretched hand some foul entities in a cavern beneath the Glasgow Necropolis, suffers a very similar affliction: 'Over the next few days his [right] arm grew more enfeebled, took on a necrotic hue, and began to stink of rottenness.' After reading 'More Things in Heaven… and noting all these correspondences, I returned to Dining on Stones to look again at Sinclair's evocation of Owen's novel, and read, with vague horror, another line Norton quotes from it: 'I was struck by the coincidence, if indeed it was a coincidence and not a clue to some hidden connection,' (Owen, 1947, p.12).

Of course, I knew the coincidences between my novel and Owen's were mere coincidences, but I still felt the frisson such correspondences can produce. Pondering this, I realised the sensation I was experiencing was one I had striven to engender with my novel's multiple frames, paratexts, and internal referentiality. This led me to muse on why I should have wished to do so, and to reconsider some of the notions that had been much in my mind as I was composing the thesis. I realised then it was through an attempt to produce in the reader a sense of fated and ominous connections that I had tried to engender the uncanny.

To conclude this abstract, I want to return to the question of the overlooked potential of the horror form. It is my belief works in the mode have the power to bring home to the reader the fact that, in a world in which the events of history are regurgitated by the media as palatable fictionalized morsels, the real has not lost any of its terror, or brutality. Readers thus made to feel anew a sense of peril will, it is to be hoped, adopt a more interrogative stance towards that which they are told. Horror therefore possesses a valuable ethical function.


Hypereosinophilia is a rare clinical entity. Infections, especially parasitic infections, cause hypereosinophilia. Fascioliasis is a rare cause of eosinophilia. In this article, we presented a case diagnosed with fascioliasis that admitted complaints of abdominal pain and rash on face, and eosinophilia were determined. Parasitic infections should be considered in patients with hypereosinophilia and a detailed examination should be done.


Since the invasion of Iraq, anti-Americanism in Europe has spilled over from foreign policy seminars into economic debates. Both advanced and emerging market countries are challenging the US economic model as the paradigm to be emulated. This critical reassessment is undoubtedly influenced by the cyclical weakness of the US economy since the late 1990s coupled with the cyclical strength of China and the Asian tigers. However, this critique also raises the larger question of whether the international economic structure of the post-World War II era, as defined by a benign but largely dominant superpower, is now past its prime. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The concept of national power has both military and economic dimensions. While the two are related, they can also exist independently. The Soviet Union during the 1960s and 1970s, for example, was a military superpower but economically weak and isolated, while Japan during the 1980s was an economic superpower with a weak military. Much attention has been devoted, on both sides of the Atlantic, to the military aspect of US power and how it is exercised both in unilateral action and through alliances like NATO. By contrast, the question of economic power has been relatively neglected, perhaps because it is more difficult to define and measure. This article is an attempt to remedy the imbalance and provoke further discussion on the emerging shape of the world economy and the ability of the United States to influence it. The United States in the World Economy A few facts are needed to set the stage for an assessment of US economic power. The United States currently produces just over 30 percent of total gross domestic product (GDP) when measured at market exchange rates, or 21 percent at purchasing power parity (PPP) rates. This is down from 46 percent just after World War II, but up slightly over the past decade due to the strong dollar and stock market boom of the mid-1990s. Looking ahead, it is most likely that the US share of world GDP will continue to shrink due to faster growth in poorer countries. The four big ones--sometimes called BRIC for Brazil, Russia, India, and China--already make up 23 percent of world output in PPP terms and are expected to grow by at least five percent per year for the next decade. Although the US share of world GDP is likely to decline further, economic power is related to per capita income as well as size. According to this measure, the United States is by far the world's richest major country. Income per person in the United States, based on PPP, is about 30 percent higher than the average for the traditional 15 member states of the European Union. On closer examination, however, this measure overstates the US advantage. There are some significant quality of life trade-offs, both voluntary and involuntary, that should be taken into account. For example, the higher US figures are partly due to the longer work hours of US citizens compared to Europeans, and the choice of more US mothers to stay in the workforce after having children. A recent study by investment bank Goldman Sachs in London reflected such quality of life choices by disaggregating the difference in GDP per capita between the United States and Euroland into two components: the number of hours worked per capita (labor utilization) and the income produced per hour worked (productivity). As shown in the table labelled "Finding Euroland," Euroland productivity in 2003 was only four percent below US levels. The rest of the 31 percent difference in GDP per capita was due to US citizens working more hours. The fact that Europeans have chosen a different balance between work and leisure, as reflected in longer holidays and fewer dual income households, does not imply that they are either less well-off or less productive. Appropriately measured, as output per hour, productivity in the United States and Euroland are roughly equal. At this broad macroeconomic level, it appears that the economic position of the United States has either diminished (in terms of size, relative to the world as a whole) or remained roughly constant (in terms of wealth, relative to Europe). …


The availability of a heterogeneous catalyst, which contains cheap and abundant elements, has a scalable synthesis, is highly active and stable, retains its performance upon shaping into a technical form and can be operated in continuous mode, would pave the way for a more ecological and economical production of glycerol carbonate from glycerol and urea. Here, we show that a mixed oxide of Mg and Al is a promising active phase for this reaction. The solid comprises widely available and non-toxic metals, is easily obtained through the thermal decomposition of a hydrotalcite-like material and can almost match the product yield of state-of-the-art Zn-based catalysts, while displaying an outstanding resistance against leaching, which causes the rapid dissolution of the latter. In-depth characterisation uncovered that Lewis-basic centres are crucial to activate glycerol through dehydrogenation. Their concentration was maximised by optimising the composition and calcination temperature of the precursor, thus reaching up to 60% glycerol carbonate yield. Millimeter-sized extrudates featuring comparable basic properties to the powder sample, a well-developed meso- and macroporosity and high mechanical stability are obtained using a natural clay, bentonite, as a binder and thermally activating the hydrotalcite only after shaping. Upon testing in a continuous reactor under tuned conditions of temperature and pressure and in the presence of an aprotic solvent, the system attains the same glycerol yield as in the batch tests. During 100 h on stream, its activity decreases by 20% due to fouling, but can be fully restored upon burning-off of the carbonaceous deposits. This work discloses the development of a green material that exhibits high efficacy in a sustainable transformation, highlighting key parameters that should be generally taken into account in the design of an industrially relevant chemocatalytic technology.


Context-free grammars (CFG) were one of the first formal tools used to model natural languages, and they remain relevant today as the basis of several frameworks. A key ingredient of CFG is the presence of nested recursion. In this paper, we investigate experimentally the capability of several recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to learn nested recursion. More precisely, we measure an upper bound of their capability to do so, by simplifying the task to learning a generalized Dyck language, namely one composed of matching parentheses of various kinds. To do so, we present the RNNs with a set of random strings having a given maximum nesting depth and test its ability to predict the kind of closing parenthesis when facing deeper nested strings. We report mixed results: when generalizing to deeper nesting levels, the accuracy of standard RNNs is significantly higher than random, but still far from perfect. Additionally, we propose some non-standard stack-based models which can approach perfect accuracy, at the cost of robustness.


Every year, billions of dollars of environmental aid flow from the rich governments of the North to the poor governments of the South. Why do donors provide this aid? What do they seek to achieve? How effective is the aid given? And does it always go to the places of greatest environmental need? From the first Earth Summit in Stockholm in 1972 to the G8 Gleneagles meeting in 2005, the issue of the impact of aid on the global environment has been the subject of vigorous protest and debate. How much progress has there been in improving environmental protection and clean-up in the developing world? What explains the patterns of environmental aid spending and distribution - is it designed to address real problems, achieve geopolitical or commercial gains abroad, or buy political mileage at home? And what are the consequences for the estimated 4 million people that die each year from air pollution, unsafe drinking water, and lack of sanitation? All of these questions and many more are addressed in this groundbreaking text, which is based on the authors' work compiling the most comprehensive dataset of foreign aid ever assembled. By evaluating the likely environment impact of over 400,000 development projects by more than 50 donors to over 170 recipient nations between 1970 and 2001, Greening Aid represents a unique, state of the art picture of what is happening in foreign assistance, and its impact on the environment. Greening Aid explains major trends and shifts over the last three decades, ranks donors according to their performance, and offers case studies which compare and contrast donors and types of environmental aid. Available in OSO: http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/economicsfinance/9780199213948/toc.html


While first accounts of food allergy date back to antiquity, only in recent years has food allergy become recognized as one of the major allergic diseases. During the last decade the output of research papers on food allergy increased tremendously, and today, issues related to food allergies still attract a lot of attention among academics and the general public. Featuring contributions by world-renowned experts, this book presents the current concept, practice and recent advances in the field of food allergy. A comprehensive background section provides a historical retrospective and information on the immunological basis and epidemiology of food allergies. Main topics discussed include clinical aspects, diagnosis and management, allergen-based food allergies, and disease-based food allergies. Furthermore, nutritional aspects and diets, public policy and educational programs are covered as well as recent hot topics such as molecular-based allergen diagnosis, eosinophilic gastrointestinal food allergies and oral immunotherapy. Allergists, pediatricians, internists, dermatologists and general practitioners will find this publication an essential source of information as it provides in-depth insights into food allergies from childhood to adulthood.


It is notable that across distinct, siloed, and disconnected areas of psychology (e.g., developmental, personality, social), there exist two dimensions (the "Big Two") that capture the ways in which people process, perceive, and navigate their social worlds. Despite their subtle distinctions and nomenclature, each shares the same underlying content; one revolves around independence, goal pursuit, and achievement, and the other revolves around other-focus, social orientation, and desire for connection. Why have these two dimensions emerged across disciplines, domains, and decades? Our answer: gender. We argue that the characteristics of the Big Two (e.g., agency/competence, communion/warmth) are reflections of psychological notions of masculinity and femininity that render gender the basis of the fundamental lens through which one sees the social world. Thus, although past work has identified the Big Two as a model to understand social categories, we argue that gender itself is the social category that explains the nature of the Big Two. We outline support for this theory and suggest implications of a gendered cognition in which gender not only provides functional utility for cognitive processing but simultaneously enforces gender roles and limits men and women's opportunities. Recognizing that the Big Two reflect masculinity and femininity does not confine people to act in accordance with their gender but rather allows for novel interventions to reduce gender-based inequities.


The purpose of this systematic review was to ascertain the current state of science regarding the use of turmeric and its pigment curcumin in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease (AD). A summary of qualitative and quantitative evidence specific to the effect of curcumin on AD is presented in this article. The purpose of the review was to evaluate and summarize findings related to this body of research. Findings indicated a positive correlation between administration of turmeric and improvement AD symptoms; however, long-term benefits need to be researched. Also, experimental research with older adults with mild, moderate, and severe AD should be conducted to determine whether or not turmeric and curcumin improve cognition, depression, and agitation. Specific methodological issues that need to be considered are the dosage and purity of turmeric and curcumin, administration frequency, determination of a suitable placebo, and duration of testing.


The purpose of the present paper is to find a theoretical-legal basis for the recent innovative decisions by the Colombian Supreme Court of Justice and by the Inter- American Court of Human Rights on the issue of environmental justice. In order to pursue this aim, we will proceed as follows.
First of all (Par. 1), we will outline the general framework in which the considered case law are situated. The contemporary environmental degradation of our planet – especially of the so-called (environmental) commons – caused by human activity has led to a new term coined to describe a "human-made" geological era: the Anthropocene. The increasing detrimental conditions of most natural ecosystems has elicited the birth in recent decades of a new category of fundamental human rights – strictly coupled with the natural environment – the so-called "environmental rights".
In the central part (Par. 2 and 3) we will illustrate and comment on the content of the judicial decisions by the Supreme Court of Colombia (STC 4360-2018) and by the Inter- American Court of Human Rights. Notably, we will try to underline the most innovative shifts that these judgements have brought in the theme of environmental justice.
The following part (Par. 4) will deal with the question: what is the theoretical-legal basis for the innovative case-law set out earlier? We argue that this basis actually already exists, and it can be found in the theory of the environmental commons (henceforth, simply "commons"). To do this, we will first identify five core points characterising the new environmental justice approach of the considered jurisprudence. After this, we will show how these five points are almost completely mirrored by the main features of the commons, so that they can offer – we believe – a valid theoretical-legal basis for this innovative case law. Lastly (Par. 5), we will consider two theoretical objections, that can legitimately arise, and how we propose to overcome them.


Expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are powerful paradigms for mapping the determinants of gene expression and organismal phenotypes, respectively. However, eQTL mapping and GWAS are limited in scope (to naturally occurring, common genetic variants) and resolution (by linkage disequilibrium). Here, we present crisprQTL mapping, a framework in which large numbers of CRISPR/Cas9 perturbations are introduced to each cell on an isogenic background, followed by single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq). crisprQTL mapping is analogous to conventional human eQTL studies, but with individual humans replaced by individual cells; genetic variants replaced by unique combinations of 'unlinked' guide RNA (gRNA)-programmed perturbations per cell; and tissue-level RNA-seq of many individuals replaced by scRNA-seq of many cells. By randomly introducing gRNAs, a single population of cells can be leveraged to test for association between each perturbation and the expression of any potential target gene, analogous to how eQTL studies leverage populations of humans to test millions of genetic variants for associations with expression in a genome-wide manner. However, crisprQTL mapping is neither limited to naturally occurring, common genetic variants nor by linkage disequilibrium. As a proof-of-concept, we applied crisprQTL mapping to evaluate 1,119 candidate enhancers with no strong a priori hypothesis as to their target gene(s). Perturbations were made by a nuclease-dead Cas9 (dCas9) tethered to KRAB, and introduced at a mean 'allele frequency' of 1.1% into a population of 47,650 profiled human K562 cells (median of 15 gRNAs identified per cell). We tested for differential expression of all genes within 1 megabase (Mb) of each candidate enhancer, effectively evaluating 17,584 potential enhancer-target gene relationships within a single experiment. At an empirical false discovery rate (FDR) of 10%, we identify 128 cis crisprQTLs (11%) whose targeting resulted in downregulation of 105 nearby genes. crisprQTLs were strongly enriched for proximity to their target genes (median 34.3 kilobases (Kb)) and the strength of H3K27ac, p300, and lineage-specific transcription factor (TF) ChIP-seq peaks. Our results establish the power of the eQTL mapping paradigm as applied to programmed variation in populations of cells, rather than natural variation in populations of individuals. We anticipate that crisprQTL mapping will facilitate the comprehensive elucidation of the cis-regulatory architecture of the human genome.


3D printing as a tool to generate complicated shapes from CAD files, on demand, with different materials from plastics to metals, is shortening product development cycles, enabling new design possibilities and can provide a mean to manufacture small volumes cost effectively. There are many technologies for 3D printing and the majority uses light in the process. In one process (Multi-jet modeling, polyjet, printoptical©), a printhead prints layers of ultra-violet curable liquid plastic. Here, each nozzle deposits the material, which is then flooded by a UV curing lamp to harden it. In another process (Stereolithography), a focused UV laser beam provides both the spatial localization and the photo-hardening of the resin. Similarly, laser sintering works with metal powders by locally melting the material point by point and layer by layer. When the laser delivers ultra-fast focused pulses, nonlinear effects polymerize the material with high spatial resolution. In these processes, light is either focused in one spot and the part is made by scanning it or the light is expanded and covers a wide area for photopolymerization. Hence a fairly "simple" light field is used in both cases. Here, we give examples of how "complex light" brings additional level of complexity in 3D printing.


Meta data management practices often overlook the role social dynamics play in harnessing the value of an organisation's unique business language and the behaviours it creates. Using evidence from literature, interviews and cognitive ethnography, this research case sets out to explain the impacts of meta data management on social dynamics. The emerging themes (that is, newness, continual adaption, engagement tension, production tension, inefficiency and unreliability) represent salient factors by which organisations can be constrained in exploiting the worth of their meta data. This research emphasises the critical importance of organisations having a deeper understanding of the purpose and meaning of information. This understanding is a strength for creating value and for exploiting the worth arising in networks and in the social dynamics created within those networks. This strength contributes to organisations' economic growth and is interdependent with their ability to manage complex phenomenon in a growing interconnected society.


We propose a method to efficiently construct data dependent kernels which can make use of large quantities of (unlabeled) data. Our construction makes an approximation in the standard construction of semi-supervised kernels in Sindhwani et al. (2005). In typical cases these kernels can be computed in nearly-linear time (in the amount of data), improving on the cubic time of the standard construction, enabling large scale semi-supervised learning in a variety of contexts. The methods are validated on semi-supervised and unsupervised problems on data sets containing upto 64, 000 sample points.


Due to our active lifestyle, knee cartilage is at risk for focal defects. Unfortunately, the native healing properties of the articular cartilage are very limited. New strategies to treat cartilage defects are then developed such as the local delivery of growth factors. For this particular approach, the delivery mode and timing are essential. In parallel, mechanical loading has been demonstrated to activate growth factor receptors involved in the healing process of the cartilage. It is thus proposed that using mechanical loading to control the growth factor release can increase its efficiency. However, a delay of 5 to 20 minutes is necessary for the activation of cell receptors following the initiation of a mechanical stimulation. The synergic effect between the mechanical loading and the delivery of growth factor could then be maximized by delaying the delivery of the growth factor following the initiation of the mechanical stimulation. The development of a hydrogel system allowing to delay the delivery of a pay-load following a mechanical stimulation is the primary objective of this thesis. The main conceptual idea for developing the delayed delivery is to utilize the viscous dissipated energy of the hydrogel submitted to cyclic mechanical loading. Under specific conditions, the dissipated energy will induce a temperature increase in the hydrogel after a certain amount of time, and will then locally trigger the release of a drug incorporated in the hydrogel. With this approach, a new concept of drug release following a mechanical stimulation is developed, where the duration of the mechanical stimulation, before the drug release, can be controlled by the dissipative properties of the hydrogel. The proposed hydrogel system is composed of two components: a hydrogel matrix and thermosensitive nanogel particles. The hydrogel matrix is a chemically cross-linked hydrogel with high dissipative properties. The dissipation of the hydrogel under loading conditions results in a certain temperature increase several minutes after cyclic loading. Incorporated in this hydrogel matrix are thermosensitive nanogel particles, which can respond to the temperature increase when the temperature surpasses their Least Critical Solution Temperature (LCST) and trigger the drug release. In this way, we can provide a time delay between the initiation of the mechanical load and the release of the drug. We followed four steps to develop such a smart drug delivery system. In the first step, we developed a finite element model to study the heat transfer mechanism in knee cartilage. We also used this model to estimate the heat power required by the hydrogel under several minutes of mechanical loading to reach a local temperature increase of about 2°C. In the second step, we designed and optimized a self-heating hydrogel structure based on Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate (HEMA) with high dissipative properties and resistance to fracture under load. The developed hydrogel could dissipate sufficiently to cause an increase in temperature several minutes after the initiation of a mechanical load. In the third step we demonstrated the proof of concept for delayed drug release following a mechanical loading by combining the developed self-heating HEMA-based hydrogel with the themosensitive poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAM) nanogel particles. [...]


This paper presents first results of a comprehensive survey of business interest associations (BIAs) in France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and at the European level, as well as of selected companies and EU level NGOs. Comparing the 2012 EUROLOB II data with our survey data of 1999 (EUROLOB I), we investigate whether or not national and European interest representatives modified their strategies of interest intermediation to respond to the new competitive situation caused by enlargement, institutional reform and the Commission's turn to new modes of governance. Our results reveal that while the number of associations has grown over the years, the number of those having contacts with EU level institutions has decreased compared to 1999. We witness a trend towards the delegation of EU lobbying to higher-level functional and higher-level territorial organizations, i.e. to national umbrella associations and to EU level BIAs. However, among those who have contacts the frequency of contacts with EU level political actors has intensified considerably. This holds especially true for the European Parliament, whose competences have increased since the turn of the century. The data also show that national business interest associations continue to differ in their approach to EU interest representation. They display different patterns concerning the selection of their contact partners, their timing of activities, and their readiness to open a representation in Brussels. As regards the new consultation instruments introduced by the European Commission in the past decade to make EU governance more open, transparent, and participatory, EUROLOB II reveals that just these instruments (online-consultations, policy forums, platforms and hearings as well as conferences) rank lower than any of the traditional instruments of interest representation.


In recent years, large-scale labor migration has had a significant impact on the social landscape of rural China. Large numbers of rural Chinese men work away from home for long periods until they reach late middle age, while rural women also often migrate when young, but generally return to the countryside to get married. After marriage and childbirth, most women remain in the village, but repeated episodes of migration are increasingly common among married women in their 20s and 30s. Consequently, much of the Chinese countryside is dominated by split households and a depleted, shifting population of middle-aged women, children and the elderly.


We construct an agent-based model to study the interplay between extreme price shocks and illiquidity in the presence of systematic traders known as trend followers. The agent-based approach is particularly attractive in modeling commodity markets because the approach allows for the explicit modeling of production, capacities, and storage constraints. Our study begins by using the price stream from a market simulation involving human participants and studies the behavior of various trend-following strategies, assuming initially that their participation will not impact the market. We notice an incremental deterioration in strategy performance as and when strategies deviate further and further from the theoretical strategy of lookback straddles (Fung and Hsieh [3]), due to the negative impacts of transaction costs and imperfect execution. Next, the trend followers are allowed to participate in the market, trading against zero intelligence computer traders making randomized bids and offers. We notice that market prices begin to break down as the percentage of trend followers in the market reaches 80%. In addition, in a market dominated by smart traders, it becomes increasingly difficult for any of them to generate profits using what is supposed to be a "long gamma" strategy. After all, trading is a zero-sum game: It is not feasible for any "long gamma" trader to generate a consistent profit unless someone else is willing to be on the other side of his/her trades. In any such market dominated by smart traders with low liquidity and extreme price instability, one proposed solution (as proposed earlier by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission) is to control position size limits, by either decreasing them (in the original proposal) or increasing them (for completeness in our analysis). Based on our simulation results, we have found no evidence supporting that such a solution will be effective; in fact, doing so will only lead to erratic price behavior as well as a variety of practical issues when imposing such changes to position size limits. An alternative proposal is to intervene in the market direct/indirectly, such as by using a market maker to inject/reduce liquidity. Our simulation results show evidence that injecting and reducing liquidity by the market maker can both be effective. However, a market maker can accumulate a large negative P&L by buying in a one-sided, falling market in which it is the only bidder, or vice versa. Therefore, in practice, no market maker may volunteer to participate in any such market rescue efforts unless governments are willing to underwrite some of its large potential losses. In short, direct/indirect intervention by controlling liquidity is not a panacea, and there are practical limits to its effectiveness.


Children's first years of life are fundamental for healthy development. Appropriate care and education in the early years are far more useful than dealing with later problems, and in both the United States and Brazil scholars and public-policy makers have argued that the goal should be an integrated system of care and education. Using a cultural—historical framework to understand early childhood policies in the United States and Brazil, we examine how notions of care and education have changed over time. We show that although the two societies have the same goal, the approaches to realizing that goal have been, for historical reasons, quite different. Moreover, despite a rapid growth in the numbers of children attending preschool institutions, integrated systems have not been accomplished. Our analysis also shows how the legacy of a dichotomous approach in both societies has impeded the integration of care and education into a single system.


Calls for public participation in climate engineering research and governance have appeared in numerous scientific and policy reports on the topic, indicating a desire for transparency and public oversight. But meaningful public engagement can require more of scientists and regulatory agencies than many realize. Over the past several decades, researchers and practitioners have developed many different methodologies to enable citizens to productively engage with experts and policy makers about emerging scientific and technological issues such as climate engineering. In fact, the United Kingdom has already convened several public participation exercises on climate engineering. Now is the time for federal agencies in the United States to start similar processes. The public is ready to discuss climate engineering. Are American scientists and decision makers ready to reciprocate?


Beliefs about the long-run economic prospects of Daesh, often known as the Islamic State or ISIL, inform international decisions over how to counteract the group. We analyze Daesh as an economic entity, demonstrating first that the amount of productive activity in areas it controls is small and second that its institutions are inimical to sustained growth. Unless one believes that the group's ideology will enable it to manage an extractive autocratic economy with historically unprecedented efficiency, then its long-run prospects are poor. This observation has a number of policy implications at both operational and strategic levels.


The traditional subcutaneous or intravenous injection of insulin can not effectively control the release of insulin, resulting in an unregulated the blood glucose levels on diabetic patients. It is urgently to develop a self-controllable insulin delivery system with high sensitivity to the change of blood glucose levels in vivo. In this work, polymer microneedles (MNs) integrated with glucose-responsive mesoporous bioactive glass nanoparticles (BGNs) for transdermal delivery of insulin had been developed for the self-regulate and painless transdermal administration. The hypoglycaemic drug (insulin) was loaded in the mesoporous BGNs that surface premodification by a composite enzyme layer (CEL). The CEL was consisted of polyethyleneimine (PEI), glucose oxidase (GOx) and catalase (CAT). The formed CEL could be used as the glucose-sensitive layer and 'gatekeeper' for the release of encapsulated insulin from mesoporous of BGNs. The glucose in CEL that diffused and penetrated from body fluids could be catalyzed to gluconic acid by GOx/CAT which caused the pH decrease in the CEL, resulting the structure destruction of CEL and leading to release of preloaded insulin from the BGNs. After the treatment of the as-prepared MNs on diabetic rats, a highly hypoglycemic effect and lower risk of hypoglycemia could be obtained. This study demonstrated that as-designed glucose-sensitive and pH-triggered transdermal delivery system was a promising strategy for the treatment of the diabetes.


The fungal genus Pisolithus is cosmopolitan in warm temperate regions and forms ectomycorrhizal associations with a wide range of woody plants. To delimit phylogenetic Pisolithus species and identify their geographical distribution, 102 collections were made worldwide and their rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) was sequenced. Phylogenetic analyses of these sequences, together with 46 additional GenBank accessions, identified 11 species. A strong phylogeographical pattern was observed related to the native geographical origin of the host plants. In the Holarctic, P. tinctorius was widely distributed, associated with Pinus and Quercus. It has been co-introduced with pines to other biogeographical regions. Several Pisolithus lineages, including P. aurantioscabrosus, occurred in restricted biogeographical regions associated with endemic plants, such as Afzelia in eastern Africa. Pisolithus albus, P. marmoratus and P. microcarpus were associated with Australasian hosts (Eucalyptus, Acacia) and were distributed with their hosts worldwide. By contrast, two additional unnamed species were restricted to Australia. The present study shows that evolutionary lineages within Pisolithus are related to the biogeographical origin of the hosts. In addition, regional floras and endemic plants could act as hosts of endemic species of Pisolithus.


During the process of software development, developers rely heavily on third-party libraries to enable functionalities and features in their projects. However, developers are faced with challenges of managing dependency messes when a project evolves. One of the most challenging problems is to handle issues caused by dependency upgrades. To better understand the issues caused by Third-party Library Upgrades (TLU), in this thesis, we conduct a comprehensive study of the bugs caused by dependency upgrades. The study is conducted on a collection of 8,952 open-source Java projects from GitHub and 304 Java projects on Apache Software Foundation (ASF) JIRA systems. We collect 83 bugs caused by inappropriate TLUs in total. Our inspection shows that TLUs are conducted out of different reasons. The most popular reason is that the project is preparing for release and wants to keep its dependencies up-to-date (62.3%). Another popular reason is that the older version of a dependency is not compatible with other dependencies (15.3%). Our inspection also indicates that the problems introduced by inappropriate dependency upgrades can be categorized into different types, i.e., program failures that are detectable statically and dynamically. Then, we investigate developers' efforts on repairing bugs caused by inappropriate TLUs. We notice that 32.53% of these bugs can be fixed by only modifying the build scripts (which we call TLU-build bugs), 20.48% of them can be fixed by merely modifying the source code (which is called TLU-code bugs), and 16.87% of them require modifications in multiple sources. TLU-build bugs and TLU-code bugs as the two most popular types, are explored more by us. For TLU-code bugs, we summarize the common ways used to fix them. Furthermore, we study whether current repair techniques can fix TLU-code bugs efficiently. For the 14 TLU-code bugs that cause test failures and runtime failures, the study shows that existing automated program repair tools can only work on 6 of the 14 investigated bugs. Each of them can only fix a limited amount of the 6 bugs, but the union of them can finally fix 5 out of 6 bugs. For TLU-build bugs, by leveraging the knowledge from our study, we summarize common patterns to fix build scripts, and propose a technique to automatically fix them. Our evaluation shows the proposed technique can successfully fix 9 out of 14 TLU-build bugs.


The computational complexity of learning from binary examples is investigated for linear threshold neurons. We introduce combinatorial measures that create classes of infinitely many learning problems with sample restrictions. We analyze how the complexity of these problems depends on the values for the measures. The results are established as dichotomy theorems showing that each problem is either NP-complete or solvable in polynomial time. In particular, we consider consistency and maximum consistency problems for neurons with binary weights, and maximum consistency problems for neurons with arbitrary weights. We determine for each problem class the dividing line between the NP-complete and polynomial-time solvable problems. Moreover, all efficiently solvable problems are shown to have constructive algorithms that require no more than linear time on a random access machine model. Similar dichotomies are exhibited for neurons with bounded threshold. The results demonstrate on the one hand that the consideration of sample constraints can lead to the discovery of new efficient algorithms for non-trivial learning problems. On the other hand, hard learning problems may remain intractable even for severely restricted samples


This paper analyzes domestic cloth production in relation to consumer preference in Java and sub-Saharan Africa, with the aim of uncovering how local industries coped with the effects of broader global and colonial forces during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Market-oriented deindustrialization theories based on Ricardian theory purport that, by the nineteenth century, world regions with a comparative advantage in manufacturing (primarily the West) prevailed as providers of industrial goods to the global market place, while regions with a comparative advantage in raw materials production (the Global South) abandoned industrial manufacturing for domestic markets in favor of tropical commodity production oriented toward global markets. However, the survival of numerous handicraft industries well into the twentieth century is a clear indication that simple comparative advantage is an insufficient explanation of industrial vitality. Inspired by contemporary business theory, we argue that many domestic handicraft producers in the Global South in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries wielded certain competitive advantages – derived from the very different production and marketing strategies pursued by handicraft manufacturers relative to factory producers – which provided competitive protection despite increasing globalization. We place particular emphasis on one crucial, yet understudied element in the explanation for the resilience of local production: the capacity of local producers to accommodate local consumer preference. Specifically, strategies of product differentiation and responsiveness to shifting consumer needs, along with flexibility in manufacturing methods, enabled local producers to remain competitive in confrontation with mounting imports from early factory producers, who typically offered cheap, but lower quality and less unique products. Moreover, some local manufacturers could even compete on the basis of price given the very low labor costs involved in seasonally oriented handicraft


Giftedness, the potential for exceptional achievement, is characterized by high intelligence and creativity. Gifted people exhibit a complex of cognitive, perceptual, emotional, motivational and social traits. Extending neurophysiological hypotheses about the general intelligence (g) factor, a construct is proposed to explain these traits: neural propagation depth. The hypothesis is that in more intelligent brains, activation propagates farther, reaching less directly associated concepts. This facilitates problem-solving, reasoning, divergent thinking and the discovery of connections. It also explains rapid learning, perceptual and emotional sensitivity, and vivid imagination. Flow motivation is defined as the universal desire to balance skills and challenges. Gifted people, being more cognitively skilled, will seek out more difficult challenges. This explains their ambition, curiosity and perfectionism. Balance is difficult to achieve in interaction with non-gifted peers, though, explaining the gifted's autonomy, non-conformism and feeling of alienation. Together with the difficulty to find fitting challenges this constitutes a major obstacle to realizing the gifted's potential. The appendix sketches a simulation using word association networks to test the propagation depth model by answering IQ-test-like questions.


Large, high-resolution vertical displays carry the potential to increase the accuracy of collaborative sensemaking, given correctly designed visual analytics tools. From an exploratory user study using a fictional intelligence analysis task, we investigated how users interact with the display to construct spatial schemas and externalize information, as well as how they establish shared and private territories. We investigated the spatial strategies of users partitioned by tool type used (document- or entity-centric). We classified the types of territorial behavior exhibited in terms of how the users interacted with the display (integrated or independent workspaces). Next, we examined how territorial behavior impacted the common ground between the pairs of users. Finally, we recommend design guidelines for building co-located collaborative visual analytics tools specifically for use on large, high-resolution vertical displays.


The strong negative evolution observed in previous X-ray-selected surveys of clusters of galaxies is evidence in favor of hierarchical models of the growth of structure in the universe. A large recent survey has, however, contradicted the low-redshift results, finding no evidence for evolution at z < 0.3. Here we present the first results from an X-ray-selected, flux- and surface brightness-limited deep survey for high-redshift clusters and groups of galaxies based on ROSAT PSPC pointed data. The log N-log S relation of all clusters in this survey is consistent with that of most previous surveys, but it occupies a flux range not previously covered (greater than 6 × 10-14 ergs cm-2 s-1 total flux in the 0.5-2 keV band). At high redshifts (z > 0.3) the cluster luminosities are in the range 4 × 1043-2 × 1044 h−250 ergs s-1, the luminosities of poor clusters. The number of high-redshift, low-luminosity clusters is consistent with no evolution of the X-ray luminosity function between redshifts of z ≈ 0.4 and z = 0, and it places a limit of a factor of less than 1.7 (at 90% confidence) on the amplitude of any pure negative density evolution of clusters of these luminosities, in contrast with the factor of ≈ 3 [corresponding to number density evolution ∝(1 + z)-2.5] found in the Einstein Extended Medium-Sensitivity Survey at similar redshifts but higher luminosities. Taken together, these results support hierarchical models in which there is mild negative evolution of the most luminous clusters at high redshift, but little or no evolution of the less luminous but more common optically poor clusters. Models involving preheating of the X-ray gas at an early epoch fit the observations, at least for Ω0 = 1.


The Sub-Cambrian Peneplain in southern Norway formed in the Cryogenian–early Cambrian. It was transgressed in the Cambrian–early Ordovician, and subsequently broken up by Caledonian thrusting, post-Caledonian normal faulting and regional uplift. In southern Norway the Sub-Cambrian Peneplain is generally expressed as an angular unconformity or nonconformity surface with no apparent deep weathering. In some localities the basement is characterized by a weathered top. Furthermore, the basement may have a mineralized top in some cases. The peneplain is commonly overlain by in situ regolith, and/or Cryogenian glacial diamictite, Lower–Middle Cambrian siliciclastic sediments, Lower–Upper Cambrian black shale or Lower Ordovician limestone. It has commonly mildly tectonized contacts, but occasionally displays contacts that have been completely destroyed by Caledonian thrusting and reworked into fault rocks. Tracing the peneplain across southern Norway reveals a fault-affected and fault-delineated plateau with a sloping eastern margin. Onshore cumulative offsets record vertical movements of > 2000 m. A 1–5° dip below Caledonian nappes suggests a flexural component related to tectonic overburden. As the oldest identifiable and dateable surface covering much of Scandinavia the peneplain constitutes the reference surface for studies of the younger regional morphotectonic evolution. Its shape supports the interpretation that Cenozoic uplift combined with faulting, not smooth flexural doming, caused the Southern Scandes high in South Norway.


Purpose: To investigate the anatomical and visual results of intravitreal dexamethasone implant treatment for macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. Materials and Methods: The study included a total of 25 patients undergoing dexamethasone implant for macular edema secondary to retinal vein occlusion. Retrospective evaluation included best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measured with ETDRS charts and macular thickness using optical coherence tomography (OCT) at each visit. The contrast sensitivity levels of patients were evaluated with Pelli-Robson chart Results: The mean age of the patients was 59.5±13.3 years (range, 34-84years). The mean follow-up time was14.6 ± 5.5 months (range, 6-27 months) and the mean number of implants was 2.6±1.5 (range,1-6). The increase in the visual acuity according to time was statistically signifi cant (p˂0.005). The decrease in macular edema was statistically signifi cant (p˂0.005). The initial mean contrast sensitivity before implant was 0.72±0.50 log, and the fi nal mean contrast sensitivity was 1.08±0.46 log (p˂0.005). No systemic adverse events were observed in any of the cases. When the ocular adverse effects were assessed, cataract progression was seen in 54.5% and cataract operations were performed on 4 patients (18.1%). The increase in intraocular pressure was statistically signifi cant (p˂0.005) and only one patient needed medical treatment. Conclusion: Dexamethasone implant had a positive effect on anatomic and visual results in retinal vein occlusion-associated macular edema but the ideal repeat interval for intravitreal dexamethasone treatment should be shorter than 6 months .


OBJECTIVE
Previously we observed that non-carriers of the most common alleles of an IGF-I promoter polymorphism have low circulating IGF-I levels and an increased risk of developing myocardial infarction (MI), particularly in patients with type 2 diabetes.

DESIGN
We investigated whether this IGF-I promoter polymorphism is associated with survival of type 2 diabetes in a Caucasian population aged 55 years and older.

METHODS
The study was embedded in the Rotterdam Study, a prospective population-based cohort study. At baseline, 668 patients with type 2 diabetes were diagnosed, among which, 55 incident MI were ascertained during follow-up. For the present study, we used two genotype groups: non-variant carriers (homozygous for 192, 194, or 192/194 bp genotypes), and variant carriers.

RESULTS
During a median follow-up of 8.8 years, 396 out of the 668 patients with type 2 diabetes (59.3%) died of various causes. The frequency of type 2 diabetes variant carrier and non-variant carriers was 28.7 and 71.3% respectively. The survival in patients with type 2 diabetes without an MI did not differ between the IGF-I genotype groups (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7-1.1, P = 0.1). In contrast, in those who developed an MI, variant carriers had a 2.4 times higher risk of mortality than non-variant carriers (95% CI: 1.2-4.8, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION
Our study suggests that genetically determined low IGF-I activity is an important determinant of survival in patients with type 2 diabetes who developed an MI. The IGF-I promoter polymorphism, therefore, may help to predict the future mortality risk in this group of patients.


In an effort to identify the site of recurrent colorectal cancer in patients with occult metastasis and increasing serum CEA levels, we conducted two trials using monoclonal antibodies (MoAb) against CEA. The first utilized Indium‐111‐labeled ZCE‐025; an immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) anticarcinoembryonic antigen (anti‐CEA) antibody (Hybritech, San Diego, CA). The second study used Tc‐99m‐labeled Fab' fragment of IMMU‐4 (Immunomedics, Morris Plains, NJ). Eighteen patients were imaged with the ZCE‐025 and 14 with the Tc‐99m Fab' IMMU‐4. True‐positive scans, defined as at least one correct correlation of the MoAb scan and surgical/histologic findings, were observed in 12 of 15 patients undergoing exploration or biopsy using the ZCE‐025 and 11 of 14 using the IMMU‐4. There were no true‐negative scans with the ZCE‐025 and only 2 of 14 with the IMMU‐4. There were 3 false‐positive scans with the ZCE‐025 and 1 of 14 with IMMU‐4. There were no false‐negative scans with either ZCE‐025 or IMMU‐4. Four (31%) of 13 patients undergoing exploration and imaged with ZCE‐025 and 5 (36%) of 14 imaged with IMMU‐4 had complete tumor resection. Treatment decisions were affected in 3 (16%) of 18 ZCE‐025‐imaged patients and 3 (21%) of 14 IMMU‐4 ones. Two (14%) of 14 patients imaged with IMMU‐4 had negative MoAb scans and negative laparotomies. Despite these findings, it is not known whether such early detection and resection will translate into improved survival rates. The authors suggest two randomized studies, one designed to ascertain the role of MoAb added to blind exploratory laparotomy. In that study, patients with increasing CEA levels and a negative workup will be randomized to an exploratory laparotomy preceded by MoAb anti‐CEA scans or a straight exploratory laparotomy without the assistance of a MoAb anti‐CEA scan. Endpoints will be differences in complete resectability and survival. A second study will examine the merits of blind exploratory laparotomies. In that study, patients with increasing CEA levels and a negative workup would be randomized to MoAb imaging, exploratory laparotomy, and radioimmuno‐guided surgery, and the other cohort of patients would continue to have conventional radiologic workup. Exploration in this latter group would be performed only when indicated by radiologic or endoscopic studies. The end‐point of the study would compare survival in the two cohorts of patients. These two studies may ultimately settle the debate regarding the correct approach to patients with occult metastatic colorectal cancer and a increasing levels of serum CEA.


ABSTRACT Background: ADT is the standard of care for patients (pts) with metastatic prostate cancer and is frequently used for pts with non-metastatic prostate cancer. Initial ADT achieves responses in nearly all pts, but most progress to castration-resistant disease within a few years. Among men with M0-CRPC, a rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) heralds the development of metastases and associated morbidity and mortality. Prevention of metastases is a major unmet medical need for pts with M0-CRPC. ARN-509 (ARN) is a potent and selective androgen receptor (AR) antagonist that inhibits AR nuclear translocation and DNA binding without significant AR agonist properties (Clegg N et al. Cancer Res. 2012). ARN demonstrates a 12- and 24-week PSA response rate of 91% in M0-CRPC pts and an excellent safety profile (Smith MR et al. ASCO GU 2013; Smith MR et al. ESMO 2013). Trial design: This is a multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of ARN in pts with M0-CRPC at high risk for progression (PSA doubling time [PSADT] ≤ 10 months). Continuous ADT is mandatory in order to maintain castrate concentrations of testosterone ( 6 months), baseline use of bone-sparing agents for osteoporosis, and presence of locoregional disease, and randomized (2:1) to ARN + ADT or placebo + ADT. The absence of distant metastasis at screening is documented by central radiographic review. The primary end point is metastasis-free survival. Secondary end points include overall survival and other clinically relevant end points. Approximately 1200 pts will be randomized to provide appropriate statistical rigor to detect the hypothesized risk reduction in metastasis or death. This study uses group sequential design, including an interim analysis. The stratified log rank test will be used for the analysis. An independent data monitoring committee is commissioned to conduct reviews of the safety and efficacy data. Approximately 300 sites from 24 countries will participate. Pts are being screened and enrolled as of September 2013. (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01946204). This abstract was accepted and previously presented at the 2014 ASCO Annual Meeting (TPS5100). Disclosure: B. Tombal: has received speaker and investigator fees from Johnson & Johnson; S.M. Shreeve, G.C. Trudel, A. Sosa, T. Kheoh: and M. Yu: is an employee of Janssen and holds stock in Johnson & Johnson; M.R. Smith: has served as a consultant/advisor to and received research funding from Janssen; S. Oudard: has served as a consultant/advisor to and received honoraria from Pfizer, Bayer, Novartis, Janssen, Takeda, and Sanofi. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.


Title of Dissertation: INSTITUTIONAL INVOLVEMENT AND THE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD DISORDER IN OLD AGE: THE ROLE OF PERSONAL AND DIVINE CONTROL. Alex Bierman, Doctor of Philosophy, 2007 Directed By: Professor Melissa A. Milkie Department of Sociology Previous research has shown that perceptions of neighborhood disorder are related to increased levels of psychological distress. Neighborhood disorder may be especially salient for older adults because the transitions associated with aging heighten the salience of the neighborhood as an arena for social interaction. A stress-process perspective suggests that the effects of neighborhood disorder on mental health may be indirect, and mediated through harm in elders' self-concepts, but also that the structural arrangements in which individuals are embedded may protect elder's mental health by protecting the self. I add to this perspective by focusing on engagement in family and religious institutions as primary indications of enmeshment in the structural arrangements of society. Using a longitudinal study of older adults, I examine whether marriage prevents the mental health effects of perceived neighborhood disorder by protecting mastery, and whether attendance at religious services and prayer protect elders' mental health by preventing loss of a second type of perceived control, sense of divine control. Results show that marriage prevents the effects of neighborhood disorder on depression and anger by preventing a loss of mastery. Further, losses in mastery strengthen the effects of neighborhood disorder on mental health, but only for women and the less educated. Neighborhood disorder is also related to loss of sense of divine control, but only for elders with greater levels of education, and religious involvement helps prevent these effects. However, this moderation provides no mental health benefits, and change in sense of divine control does not alter the relationship between neighborhood disorder and mental health. A primary contribution of this dissertation is that it places the effects of perceived neighborhood disorder in a larger structural context by demonstrating that they are contingent on engagement in the social structures which pattern human behavior and sustain the structure of society. INSTITUTIONAL INVOLVEMENT AND THE MENTAL HEALTH EFFECTS OF PERCEIVED NEIGHBORHOOD DISORDER IN OLD AGE: THE ROLE OF PERSONAL AND DIVINE CONTROL.