Accepted 27 February 2009 ABSTRACT Background: A small subset (10–15%) of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) lack mutations in KIT and PDGFRA (wild-type GIST). Recently, a novel BRAF exon 15 mutation (V600E) was detected in imatinib-naive wildtype high-risk intestinal GISTs (4%). However, the frequency and distribution of BRAF mutations within the spectrum of GISTs, and whether they might represent secondary events acquired during tumour progression, remain unknown. Methods: 69 GISTs (39 KIT mutants, 2 PDGFRA mutants and 28 wild-type) were analysed for mutations in BRAF exon 15 and KRAS exon 2. To assess the stage at which these mutations might occur in GIST, a considerable number of incidental gastric (n = 23) and intestinal (n = 2) tumours were included. Results: BRAF mutations (V600E) were detected in 2 of 28 wild-type GISTs (7%), but in none of the 41 KIT/ PDGFRA mutants. No KRAS mutation was detected. The two BRAF-mutated GISTs measured 4 mm in diameter and originated in the gastric body and the jejunum in two men (mean age, 76 years). Both tumours were mitotically inactive KIT-positive spindle-cell GISTs that were indistinguishable histologically from their more common KITmutated counterparts. Conclusion: BRAF mutations represent an alternative molecular pathway in the early tumorigenesis of a subset of KIT/PDGFRA wild-type GISTs and are per se not associated with a high risk of malignancy. Mutations in KIT, PDGFRA and BRAF were mutually exclusive in this study. Results from this and a previous study indicate that BRAF-mutated GISTs show a predilection for the small bowel (four of five tumours), but this needs further evaluation in larger studies.


This study presents a framework to include environmental externalities into a system of national accounts. The paper estimates the air pollution damages for each industry in the United States. An integrated-assessment model quantifies the marginal damages of air pollution emissions for the US which are multiplied times the quantity of emissions by industry to compute gross damages. Solid waste combustion, sewage treatment, stone quarrying, marinas, and oil and coal-fired power plants have air pollution damages larger than their value added. The largest industrial contributor to external costs is coal-fired electric generation, whose damages range from 0.8 to 5.6 times value added. (JEL E01, L94, Q53, Q56)


The paper outlines the development of medieval economic history in Switzerland and the research conducted on Swiss regions over the past twenty years. First there is a focus on the institutional embedding of this field of study and the opening up of new source material. The paper then critically reviews the fruits of research, especially on the mixed arable-pastoral economy of the Alps and on the arable lowland economy (Swiss Middleland) as studied at local and regional levels. This is followed by a critical evaluation of scientific results on the economic situation of the nobility, on urban economy, on trade and traffic, especially over the Alpine passes, on loans, banks and finance in the towns, and on the economic role of the Jews and the Lombards. There is a special emphasis on theoretical approaches with regard to source-critical conclusions of newer research on the uses of writing (pragmatic literacy). Furthermore, the impact of the linguistic and culturalistic turns is discussed. The paper concludes by looking ahead, asking what opportunities may be created for the subject by cooperating with economics, a discipline that - especially in the new area of institutional economics - has abandoned the ahistorical modelling of neoclassicism and begun to consider the historical perspective in its theoretical discussions.


One of the earliest extant versions of the Tristan and Yseut story, Beroul's French manuscript of The Romance of Tristan dates back to the middle of the twelfth century. It recounts the legend of Tristan, nephew of King Mark of Cornwall, and the king's Irish wife Yseut, who fall passionately in love after mistakenly drinking a potion. Their illicit romance remains secret for many years, but the relentless suspicion of the king's barons and the fading effects of the magic draught eventually lead to tragedy for the lovers. While Beroul's work emphasizes the impulsive and often brutal behaviour of the characters, its sympathetic depiction of two people struggling against their destiny is one of the most powerful versions of this enduringly popular legend.


We quantitatively study the effect of growth-induced reduction of long range structural order on the superconducting transition in epitaxial YBa2Cu3O6.9 films. The corresponding reduction of structural coherence length rc is determined from the width of X-ray diffraction rocking curves. Tc measurements in the films give evidence for the validity of the empirical scaling relation ΔTc~ rc,ab-2, where ΔTc is the disorder-induced reduction of Tc and rc,ab is the structural coherence length in the ab-plane. To explain this algebraic law we propose a simple phenomenological model based on the disorder-induced localization of the charge carriers within each ordered domain of size rc,ab. This picture enables us to precisely determine the Ginzburg-Landau superconducting coherence length in the ab-plane, and we obtain ξab=1.41±0.04 nm.


For decades I could not understand why I felt so angry and frustrated even when things were going my way. I never excelled at school except when I was either threatened with punishment or when I enjoyed a subject, then I always did very well but soon became bored and lost focus. I could never complete tasks or projects, whether it was for school, work or pleasure. When a task became onerous I would procrastinate continuously. All this stems from me not knowing that I had ADHD, this resulted in years of constantly changing jobs, looking for new opportunities and ventures, taking risks that most people would not normally do. I have worked for myself for most of my life and I have had moderate success, but then again I have made some spectacular mistakes. After years of strife, compliments of ADHD, I ended up with depression and this "symptom" resulted in me staring to look for answers.


We have suggested recently that the fall in plasma CRF-binding protein (BP) during the last few weeks of pregnancy is a direct effect of association with its ligand because of the rapid decrease in plasma BP concentration seen in normal males reaching a nadir some 15 min after a bolus injection of synthetic CRF. In the present study, we have investigated the physicochemical properties of both natural and recombinant BP by gel filtration under physiological conditions and have shown that association of human CRF to this BP results in an increase in molecular weight consistent with the formation of a dimer form of the BP ligand complex. The dimer is more stable when the interaction occurs in the presence of serum or if a peptide with a higher affinity for the BP is substituted as ligand. Experimental evidence would also suggest that the dimer BP has a higher affinity for ligand than the monomeric form. We suggest that this dimerization occurs in vivo when CRF is released into the bloodstream and provides the trigger that causes the uptake of the complex at specific receptor sites.


The fluorescence from a fluorophore on a multilayered substrate fabricated by a metal and a dielectric is known to be enhanced by more than 100-fold. In the course of this study, we prepared a multilayered substrate with Ag as the metal and Al(2)O(3) as the dielectric and then investigated the effects of the polarization of the excitation light on the enhancement of the multilayered substrate. It was found that the enhancement was attributed to an electric field oscillating parallel to the substrate. Maximum 200-fold enhancement could be achieved with 80 nm thick Al(2)O(3) when an unpolarized excitation light was used with an incident angle of 20 degrees.


Public cloud platforms might start with homogeneous hardware; nevertheless, because of inevitable hardware upgrades, or adding more capacity, the initial homogeneous platform will gradually evolve into heterogeneous as time passes by. The consequent performance heterogeneity is of concern to cloud users. In this paper, we evaluate performance variations from hardware heterogeneity and scheduling mechanisms of public clouds. Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) and Rackspace Cloud are used as the representatives because of their relatively long record and wide usage among small and medium enterprises (SMEs). A comprehensive set of microbenchmarks and application-level macrobenchmarks have been used to investigate performance variation. Several major contributions have been made. First, we find out that heterogeneous hardware is a commonality among the relatively long-lasting cloud platforms, although the level of heterogeneity varies. Second, we observe that heterogeneous hardware is the primary culprit of performance variation of cloud platforms. Third, we discover that varied CPU acquisition percentages and different virtual machine scheduling mechanisms exacerbate the performance variation problem, especially for network related operations. Finally, based on the observations, we propose cost-saving approaches and analyze Nash equilibrium from cloud user perspective. By using a simple "trial-and-better" approach, i.e., keep good-performing instances and discard bad-performing instances, cloud users can achieve up to 30 percent cost saving.


Objective: Sarcomatoid carcinomas of the lung are a group of aggressive tumors. It has been reported that losses of SMARCA4 and SMARCA2, which play a role in the repair and remodeling of chromatin, contribute to the initiation, progression, and differentiation of neoplasms. The aim of our study was to examine SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 profiles in sarcomatoid carcinomas of the lung. Material and Method: We screened pleomorphic carcinomas (PCs), carcinosarcomas (CSs), and pulmonary blastomas (PBs). The loss of SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 expression in the tumors was evaluated using immunohistochemical methods. The tumors were also examined to determine immunophenotype, histological tumor diagnosis, surgical resection, tumor histological component, largest tumor diameter, and lymph node metastasis status. Results: Sixty-nine cases were screened, of which 84% were PCs, 13% were CSs, and 2.8% were PBs. In PCs components, 84.4% were biphasic and 15.5% were monophasic. The PCs showed the most frequent loss of SMARCA4 (25.8%) and SMARCA2 (44.8%). A loss of SMARCA4 and SMARCA2, respectively, was detected in 14.2% and 24.4% in both components of biphasic PCs; 12.2% and 14.2% in the sarcoma component of biphasic PCs; 0% and 8.1% in the carcinoma component of biphasic PCs; 22.2% and 33.3% in monophasic PCs; 0% and 22.2% in both components of CSs; and 0% and 22.2% in the sarcoma component of CSs. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate a loss of expression of SMARCA4 and SMARCA2 in pulmonary sarcomatoid carcinomas. Loss of the SMARCA complex may be caused by the heterogeneous morphological profile of sarcomatoid carcinomas, independent of tumor histopathological parameters.


Tankyrases are previously unknown components of the Wnt signaling pathway that may provide opportunities for therapeutic intervention in Wnt-dependent cancers. Wnt signaling leads to destabilization of the scaffolding protein axin and dissociation of the axin-containing β-catenin destruction complex, allowing β-catenin to accumulate in the nucleus and regulate the transcription of target genes. Crucial in development, deregulated signaling through the Wnt pathway has been implicated in the development of various cancers, notably colon cancer; however, its components have proved elusive to targeted therapy (see Peterson). Huang et al. conducted a high-throughput screen using a Wnt-responsive luciferase reporter in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells and identified XAV939 as a small-molecule inhibitor of Wnt signaling. Analysis of its effects on components of the Wnt signaling pathway in colorectal cancer cell lines indicated that XAV939 increased the abundance of the β-catenin destruction complex. Using a quantitative chemical proteomics approach in which proteins that bound immobilized XAV939 were competed by solubilized XAV939, the authors identified 18 proteins that specifically bound XAV939, including several poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs). Like XAV939, the combined knockdown of the PARPs tankyrase 1 (TNKS1) and TNKS2 increased the abundance of axin1 and axin2, as well as increasing β-catenin phosphorylation, decreasing β-catenin abundance, and inhibiting activity of a Wnt-responsive reporter. TNKS1 and TNKS2 coimmunoprecipitated with axin2 in SW480 cells, and analyses of the interaction between axin1 fragments and TNKS1 in a yeast two-hybrid assay identified an N-terminal region of axin1 that was necessary and sufficient for TNKS binding [the "tankyrase-binding domain" (TBD)]. The ability of TNKS1 and TNKS2 to decrease axin abundance depended on the presence in axin of the TBD and on their poly-ADP-ribosylation (PARsylation) activity. TNKS2 PARsylated an axin1 fragment containing the TBD in vitro; in cells, XAV939 inhibited axin PARsylation, ubiquitination, and degradation. XAV939 inhibited the proliferation of a line of colorectal cancer cells with dysregulated Wnt signaling, an effect abolished by knockdown of axin1 and axin2. Thus, the authors conclude that tankyrases represent previously unknown components of the Wnt signaling pathway that may provide new approaches to therapeutic intervention in Wnt-dependent cancers. S.-M. A. Huang, Y. M. Mishina, S. Liu, A. Cheung, F. Stegmeier, G. A. Michaud, O. Charlat, E. Wiellette, Y. Zhang, S. Wiessner, M. Hild, X. Shi, C. J. Wilson, C. Mickanin, V. Myer, A. Fazal, R. Tomlinson, F. Serluca, W. Shao, H. Cheng, M. Shultz, C. Rau, M. Schirle, J. Schlegl, S. Ghidelli, S. Fawell, C. Lu, D. Curtis, M. W. Kirschner, C. Lengauer, P. M. Finan, J. A. Tallarico, T. Bouwmeester, J. A. Porter, A. Bauer, F. Cong, Tankyrase inhibition stabilizes axin and antagonizes Wnt signalling. Nature 461, 614–620 (2009). [PubMed] R. T. Peterson, Propping up a destructive regime. Nature 461, 599–600 (2009). [PubMed]


In November 2013, mass protests broke out in Ukraine when President Yanukovych chose not to sign a planned Association Agreement with the European Union. Kyiv's Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) became 'EuroMaidan' as huge crowds of demonstrators expressed their anger at the government. This essay examines the part played by journalists during EuroMaidan and the struggles around media resources that were central to these dramatic recent events in Ukrainian politics. Attention is devoted to journalist activism, the use of social networks, the emergence of new information sources, and the behaviour of leading national TV channels. Attempts to suppress anti-government narratives are described and their impact assessed. The essay identifies three weaknesses which combined to undermine Yanukovych's position in the 'battle for the narrative': (1) dissent and activism among Ukraine's professional journalist community; (2) the autonomous nature and increasing accessibility of online communication; and (3) the sensitivity of media-owning oligarchs to public and international opinion.


Despite increasing attention paid to intangibles research since the end of the 20th century, there is a dearth of empirical evidence on the interactions among different intangible elements and their performance implications due to the lack of appropriate intangible measurements and the low level of intangible disclosure in the public domain.
From a resource-based view (RBV), this thesis seeks to investigate the role of intangibles in the European banking sector using mixed methods. A quantitative approach is adopted to test the relationships among different intangible elements and between them and bank performance for a sample of 63 banks from 2005 to 2007. The empirical results show that top management human capital (HC) has a positive impact on either customer relationships or bank financial performance, and the combination of different intangible elements tends to better explain the variation in banks' return on assets than they do individually. Meanwhile, a qualitative approach is employed to assess intangible measurement, disclosure, and modelling by conducting semi-structured interviews with 11 bank managers and 12 bank analysts. A grounded theory model of intangibles is developed, which reveals how intangibles and tangible/financial resources interact in the bank value creation process. In addition, it explores the communication gaps between bank managers and bank analysts regarding the concept of intangibles, intangible measurement and intangible disclosure. More importantly, the adoption of mixed methods research allows this thesis to achieve evidence triangulation and complementarity. Both approaches produce evidence in support of the resource integration of the RBV theory and the importance of top management HC. Besides, the qualitative study provides the means to explore the way of improving the specified models and intangible proxies used in the quantitative study.
This thesis makes a contribution to the development of mixed methods research in the fields of finance, accounting and management by providing an example of how quantitative and qualitative approaches can be integrated to investigate a research question. It also contributes to the intangible literature and banking literature in terms of improving our understanding of the role of intangibles in the bank business model.


Linking psychoanalytic studies with neuroscience has proven increasingly productive for identifying and understanding personality functioning. This article focuses on pathological narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), with the aim of exploring two clinically relevant aspects of narcissistic functioning also recognized in psychoanalysis: fear and decision-making. Evidence from neuroscientific studies of related conditions, such as psychopathy, suggests links between affective and cognitive functioning that can influence the sense of self-agency and narcissistic self-regulation. Attention can play a crucial role in moderating fear and self-regulatory deficits, and the interaction between experience and emotion can be central for decision-making. In this review we will explore fear as a motivating factor in narcissistic personality functioning, and the impact fear may have on decision-making in people with pathological narcissism and NPD. Understanding the processes and neurological underpinnings of fear and decision-making can potentially influence both the diagnosis and treatment of NPD.


In 1766 the German dramatist and critic Gotthold Ephraim Lessing warned in his essay Laokoon against over-emphasizing apparent similarities between the arts of poetry and painting, and his views have been restated more uncompromisingly by modern critics. (1) Nevertheless the sheer number of epic poems and history paintings, often on the same theme, produced in western Europe in the five decades following Lessing's death makes it tempting to suppose that there was some sort of underlying conception common to the work of both poets and painters. (2) Both epic poetry and history painting enjoyed a particular vogue in this period. In France the depiction in the grand manner of scenes from French history was sponsored by the comte d'Angiviller, Louis XVI's Directeur des Batiments from 1774 onward; after 1800 Napoleon made sure that events of his own reign were similarly celebrated by the leading painters of the day, both French and Italian. In Britain Benjamin West, having established his reputation as a history painter with his The Death of Wolfe, was patronized by George III and in 1792 elected to succeed Sir Joshua Reynolds as President of the Royal Academy. Official encouragement of epic poetry was less direct, though one notes that epic poets of the period included junior ministers like James Bland Burges and Richard Wharton, court officials like Goethe and state councillors like Anders Frederik Skjoldebrand, but one way of looking at the artistic and literary culture of this period as a whole is in terms of a kind of division, perhaps even competition, between a neo-classicism that emphasized participation in the public sphere and the celebration of public events in a style self-consciously derived from the classics, and a romanticism which involved a retreat from, even a rejection of, the public sphere in favor of self-contemplation and an immersion in nature and local traditions, and if this distinction is held valid, epic poetry will be seen to fall very much on the neo-classical, public-sphere-oriented side of the divide. (3) Since certain topics were almost equally favored as subjects for history painting and epic poetry it is worth investigating what it was in these topics that attracted both painters and poets. One theme that was notably popular with practitioners of the two sister arts was King Alfred, the ninth-century King of the West Saxons, the only English monarch to have been accorded the title "The Great." (4) Born in 849, Alfred succeeded his elder brother AEthelred as King of the West Saxons in 871 at a time when invading Danes seemed at the point of conquering the whole of England. After a number of battlefield reverses and a period of guerrilla warfare directed from a base in the marshes of Somersetshire, Alfred vanquished the Danes at the Battle of Edington in 878 and established a peace which left him in control of England south of a line running from London to Chester, a territory which had to be defended when war with the Danes flared up again in the 890s. Probably the first English king to be able to read and write, Alfred translated the first fifty psalms and Boethius's De Consolatione Philosophiae into Anglo-Saxon, sponsored the compilation of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, drew up a code of laws, encouraged the spiritual education of the clergy, and organized a navy. Though he never enjoyed the legendary, almost mythic status of Charlemagne, who had reigned less than a century earlier and whose great-granddaughter was the Saxon king's stepmother, Alfred benefited from being relatively well-documented by contemporaries, notably Asser, a member of his household, whose life of Alfred is the earliest known biography of an English layman. Though all but forgotten during the Middle Ages, with the growth of antiquarian interest in Anglo-Saxon antiquities from the sixteenth century onwards Alfred assumed an increasingly important role in Englishmen's perception of their national identity. …


We measure the degree of market power execution and inefficiencies in Alberta's restructured electricity market. Using hourly wholesale market data from 2008 to 2014, we find that firms exercise substantial market power in the highest demand hours with limited excess production capacity. The degree of market power execution in all other hours is low. Market inefficiencies are larger in the high demand hours and elevate production costs by 14%-19% above the competitive benchmark. This reflects 2.35% of the average market price across all hours. A recent regulatory policy clarifies that certain types of unilateral market power execution is permitted in Alberta. We find evidence that suggests that strategic behavior changed after this announcement. Market power execution increased. We illustrate that the observed earnings are often sufficient to promote investment in natural gas based technologies. However, the rents from market power execution can exceed the estimated capacity costs for certain generation technologies. We demonstrate that the energy market pro ts in the presence of no market power execution are generally insufficient to promote investment in new generation capacity. This stresses the importance of considering both short-run and long-run performance measures.


Most real-world engineering optimization problems are multiobjective in nature, since they normally have several (possibly conflicting) objectives that must be satisfied at the same time. The word "optimum" has several interpretations within this context, and it is up to the designer to decide which fits better to his/her application. Currently, there are more than 20 mathematical programming multiobjective optimization techniques, each one corresponding to a different understanding of the term "optimum". On the other hand, genetic algorithms (GAs) have been viewed to be, since their early days, well suited for multiobjective optimization problems. Consequently, several GA-based techniques have been developed since then.
The purpose of this research has been to develop a platform that allows the testing and comparison of existing and future multiobjective optimization techniques. Two new multiobjective optimization GA-based methods based on the notion of min-max optimum are proposed, showing that at least one of them is able to produce better results than any other technique tested. Also, a method for adjusting the parameters of the GA for single-objective numerical optimization is proposed, showing the suitability of the GA as a numerical optimization technique when used properly. Then, a brief study of the importance of population policies and proper niching parameters is included. This work tries to narrow the gap between theory and practice in the context of engineering optimization. Finally, some insights on the importance of choosing a good chromosomic representation and the use of a proper fitness function are provided, derived from the analysis of a more general design problem.


Researchers and practitioners employ a variety of time-series processes to forecast betas, using either short-memory models or implicitly imposing infinite memory. We find that both approaches are inadequate: beta factors show consistent long-memory properties. For the vast majority of stocks, we reject both the short-memory and difference-stationary (random walk) alternatives. A pure long-memory model reliably provides superior beta forecasts compared to all alternatives. Finally, we document the relation of firm characteristics with the forecast error differentials that result from inadequately imposing short-memory or random walk instead of long-memory processes.


Chaucer bases the marriage in the Shipman's Tale on the ethical and social systems of the medieval merchant class, yet criticism of the marriage and the wife's extra-marital transaction especially, often falls squarely in the realm of ecclesiastical, moral ideology. A moral reading of the mercantile-based Shipman's Tale presupposes that an accommodation can be negotiated between the mercantile and the ecclesiastical. I argue that Chaucer's construction of marriage in the Shipman's Tale allows for no accommodation. Chaucer creates a purely mercantile marriage that relies upon the ethical standards of business to determine its strength. This thesis examines the intersecting ecclesiastical and mercantile terms within the Shipman's Tale. Chapter one examines the assertion that money perverts the marriage of the wife and the merchant. To refute these claims I examine the medieval church's views on marriage, the Pauline "marriage debt," adultery, and the conflicts within this ideal as they relate to and inform the marriage of the wife and merchant. The marriage between the merchant husband and his wife in the Shipman's Tale is strengthened by its adherence to mercantile ethics, and stands as a legitimate partnership, not as a perversion. In Chapter two I focus on the determination that the wife in the Shipman's Tale is "unfaithful, aggressively self-centered, and mercenary." The particular assertion of "mercenary" interests me, since it is based on attempts to calculate a financial exchange rate in order to accuse the wife of over-selling herself to the monk. If the wife over-sells her body then she reaps a usurious profit, a practice condemned by both ecclesiastical and secular fourteenth-century courts. I analyze terms and financial transactions specific to usury and find that the wife conducts an ethical trade based on fourteenth-century mercantile law. She trades her body for the amount of currency the market will bear, therefore she is free from the charges of mercenary over-selling and moves out of the shadow of her merchant husband and into the role of independent merchant. In Chapter three I confront the "redemptive innocence" extended to the merchant husband and the refusal to extend such redemption to the wife. I investigate the specific mercantile terms related to the bill of exchange model used by both the husband and wife in the Shipman's Tale, in order to show that the wife in the Shipman's Tale is an ethical merchant in her own right and therefore worthy of the same "redemptive innocence" offered to her husband. I conclude that the merchant's marriage typifies the medieval mercantile business model, that ecclesiastical marriage ideology is incongruent to this business model, and that the wife's movements must be evaluated under the terms of mercantile ethics. I find the wife in the Shipman's Tale to be an ethical merchant and an exemplary participant in the mercantile marriage provided by the text.


This doctoral thesis inductively explores the role of conventional social behaviour adopted
by individual microfinance clients regarding their influence over their own collective
success as a microcredit group. The collective credit in question is subject to an adaptation
in Mexico of the Grameen Bank lending framework. An analysis is made on the
close interplay between institutional rules, i.e. the repayment conditions imposed by
the microfinance institution (henceforth MFI), and the emergent cooperation and penalisation
mechanisms that are handled by clients themselves to meet their targets. Thus
the research is focused on the clients' strategies to socially manage debt and defaulters.
In this case study, a socio-economical fieldwork has been completed through surveying
600 microcredit clients, their 2404 active loans, 35 credit officers plus their board of directors.
This took place in the southernmost state of Mexico, Chiapas, from September
2007 to February 2008, and data analysis was carried out during that period until July
2009. All findings were discussed with relevant stakeholders and policy makers. This
proved key in providing influential insights that helped to improve the institutional regulatory
framework. That resulted in a policy change that benefited over 20,000 clients.
Apart from institutional regulations, it has also been observed group-level strategies
devised by microfinance clients themselves to assess and deal with defaulters over time.
These operate independently from the MFI framework as, despite influencing when and
how quotas should be repaid, their criteria is entirely dealt with and evolved within
credit groups. The obtained outcomes from analysing social and financial data include:
• (I) insights backed by empirical data helped to influence an adaptation of the
MFI funding credit policy, so that group structure and conventions are actually
taken into consideration in a bid to foster more successful microcredit groups;
• and (II) an analysis deemed reliable by the stakeholders for policy-making purposes,
which has also guided the development of an exploratory model for simulating
behaviour of how microcredit groups may deal with repayments in adversity.
As a result of having developed this research project, three contributions to knowledge
are discussed in the thesis. These are organised below according to relevant topics.
1. Understanding the behaviour within studied microfinance groups: based on the
analysed evidence, a hypotheses is suggested about how group location and membership
can influence the dynamics of acceptable behaviour regarding defaulters.
2. Informing policy-making with research findings: a demonstration of how stakeholders
can assess the usefulness of knowledge –produced via research– for policymaking
purposes, taking into account the phenomenon's particular context.
3. The development of an agent-based model (henceforth ABM): application of the
proposed ABM methodology, aimed at strengthening validation throughout the
modelling process with emphasis on use of evidence and stakeholder participation.


Common optical fibers are randomly birefringent, which results in random polarization of the supercontinuum (SC) generated in such fibers. Random polarization is undesirable for many applications of the SC. The formation of solitons from a pump pulse is one of the principal mechanisms of SC generation. Fiber twisting mitigates the random linear birefringence, which makes twisted fiber attractive for nonlinear applications. In this work we measured the polarization of solitons formed by the pulse breakup process. We found that a circularly polarized 1 ns pump pulse introduced to a twisted Corning SMF-28 fiber produces solitons with a high grade of circular polarization, while in a fiber without twist the polarization of solitons is random.


This research aids in tackling one important part of accessibility metrics—measuring land use. It introduces complementary strategies to effectively measure a variety of different destination types at a highly detailed scale of resolution using secondary data. The research describes ways to overcome common data hurdles and demonstrates how existing data in one metropolitan area in the U.S. – the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul – can be exploited to aid in measuring accessibility at an extremely fine unit of analysis (i.e., the parcel). Establishment-level data containing attribute information on location, sales, employees, and industry classification was purchased from Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. The research process involved cleaning and tailoring the parcel dataset for the 7-county metro area and integrating various GIS datasets with other secondary data sources. These data were merged with parcel-level land use data from the Metropolitan Council. The establishment-level data were then recoded into destination categories using the 2 to 6-digit classifications of the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The development of important components of this research is illustrated with a sample application. The report concludes by describing how such data could be used in calculating more robust measures of accessibility. This was done for capturing accessibility metrics for non-auto modes such as walking and cycling.


This study was conducted to examine the mood-enhancing benefits of Judy Young's Laughter Therapy and the facilitative effects of high levels of creativity on changes in mood. This program aims to teach participants purposeful laughter so that they may 'turn on' genuine laughter at will. Two hour exposure to Laughter Therapy revealed increases in Positive Affect (PA) and decreases in Negative Affect (NA). The full three-week program was conducted with a control group with consenting employees at a school district. The control group included beneficial components of the Laughter Therapy program (i.e. light cardiovascular exercise, diaphragmatic breathing, and social interaction) in order to isolate the effects of the purposeful laughter taught during the sessions in the Laughter Therapy condition. Creativity levels did not influence the degree of mood changes in participants. T-tests did not indicate significant changes in PA or NA when the Laughter Therapy was compared with the control group in the three-week data collection. However, correlations revealed a small change in PA and NA in the anticipated directions for the Laughter Therapy condition. These results may have been influenced by an inadequate amount of participants in the three-week data collection. While Laughter Therapy may be useful for enhancing mood, more research is needed to determine the therapeutic benefits of this approach.


The extent to which exogenous international agricultural price fluctuations are internalised by rural communities is of major interest for policy-makers concerned with regional economic performance. So too is the link between rural sector performance and urban outcomes, especially in agriculturally-based economies. Through vector autoregressive (VAR) modelling we estimate the causal effect of exogenous commodity price innovations on both rural and urban community outcomes. Our analysis demonstrates that restricting the focus to national effects may lead to incorrect inference. We therefore extend the analysis to a VAR using panel data covering all New Zealand districts over 1991–2011. House prices and housing investment are used as quarterly indicators of regional economic and population outcomes. By exploiting the variation in production bundles across communities we find that an increase in commodity prices leads to a permanent increase in housing investment and house prices across the country. However, we find that rural communities are relatively insulated from commodity price shocks, whereas urban areas are most affected by commodity price shocks. We discuss the reasons why this paradoxical result may arise.


This important book deals with the essential principles of resource and environmental economics, provides applications to contemporary issues in this field, and outlines and assesses policies being used or proposed for managing the use of environmental and natural resources. Covering specific contemporary topics such as agriculture and the environment, water use, greenhouse gas management, biodiversity conservation, tourism and the environment, and environmental economics and health, leading issues in resource and environmental economics are outlined and analyzed in an innovative manner. Institutional economics (both new and traditional) is applied and compared with other approaches such as neoclassical economics, behavioral economics and the Austrian School of Economics. This heterogeneous, multi-perspective approach enables problems to be considered from several different angles, thus enhancing the reader's comprehension of the subject matter. Furthermore, using minimal technical jargon, the book takes into account aspects of modern economic analysis such as the costs of and constraints on decision-making and the transaction costs involved in policy implementation.


Abstract Thousands of industrial-scale wind turbines are being built across the world each year to meet the growing demand for sustainable energy. Bats of certain species are dying at wind turbines in unprecedented numbers. Species of bats consistently affected by turbines tend to be those that rely on trees as roosts and most migrate long distances. Although considerable progress has been made in recent years toward better understanding the problem, the causes of bat fatalities at turbines remain unclear. In this synthesis, we review hypothesized causes of bat fatalities at turbines. Hypotheses of cause fall into 2 general categories—proximate and ultimate. Proximate causes explain the direct means by which bats die at turbines and include collision with towers and rotating blades, and barotrauma. Ultimate causes explain why bats come close to turbines and include 3 general types: random collisions, coincidental collisions, and collisions that result from attraction of bats to turbines. The random collision hypothesis posits that interactions between bats and turbines are random events and that fatalities are representative of the bats present at a site. Coincidental hypotheses posit that certain aspects of bat distribution or behavior put them at risk of collision and include aggregation during migration and seasonal increases in flight activity associated with feeding or mating. A surprising number of attraction hypotheses suggest that bats might be attracted to turbines out of curiosity, misperception, or as potential feeding, roosting, flocking, and mating opportunities. Identifying, prioritizing, and testing hypothesized causes of bat collisions with wind turbines are vital steps toward developing practical solutions to the problem.


The mite family Ascouracaridae Gaud et Atyeo, 1976 contains large-sized mites (mostly > 1 mm) which live inside the quills of birds of several orders. To date, no representative of this family has been found associated with the order Strigiformes (owls). In this paper, a new species of this family, Cystoidosoma hermaphroditus sp. n., is described from the tropical screech owl, Megascops choliba (Vieillot) (Aves: Strigiformes) from Brazil. This species is unique in having an external spermaduct, a primary duct and a rudimentary bursa copulatrix present in males. This is the first astigmatan feather mite described from the order Strigiformes in this country. A key to adults of the genus Cystoidosoma Gaud et Atyeo, 1976 of the world is presented.


Trade‐offs between water‐resource depletion and salinization need to be understood when promoting water‐conservative irrigation practices. This companion paper assesses impacts of groundwater‐fed irrigation on soil water and groundwater quality using data from the southern High Plains (SHP). Unsaturated zone soil samples from 13 boreholes beneath irrigated agroecosystems were analyzed for water‐extractable anions. Salt accumulation in soils varies with irrigation water quality, which ranges from low salinity in the north (median Cl: 21 mg/L) to higher salinity in the south (median Cl: 180 mg/L). Large Cl bulges under irrigated agroecosystems in the south are similar to those under natural ecosystems, but they accumulated over decades rather than millennia typical of natural ecosystems. Profile peak Cl concentrations (1200–6400 mg/L) correspond to irrigation efficiencies of 92–98% with respect to drainage and are attributed to deficit irrigation with minimal flushing. Perchlorate (ClO4) also accumulates under irrigated agroecosystems, primarily from irrigation water, and behaves similarly to Cl. Most NO3‐N accumulation is below the root zone. Groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) have increased by ≤960 mg/L and NO3‐N by ≤9.4 mg/L since the early 1960s. Mobilization of salts that have accumulated under irrigated agroecosystems is projected to degrade groundwater much more in the future because of the essentially closed‐basin status of the aquifer, with discharge occurring primarily through irrigation pumpage. TDS are projected to increase by an additional 2200 mg/L (median), ClO4 by 21 μg/L, and NO3‐N by 52 mg/L. Water and salt balances should be considered in irrigation management in order to minimize salinization issues.


The building sector is the largest energy consumer and CO2 emitter in the European Union (EU) and therefore the active reduction of energy consumption and elimination of energy wastage are among the main goals in it. Healthy housing and energy efficiency are affected by many factors which set challenges to monitoring, control and research of indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy consumption, especially in old buildings. These challenges include measurement and equipment costs, for example. Additionally, the measurement results are difficult to interpret and their usage in the ventilation control is also limited when taking into account the energy efficiency of housing at the same time. The main goal of this study is to develop a cost-effective building monitoring and control system especially for old buildings. The starting point or keyword of the development process is a wireless system; otherwise the installation costs become too high. As the main result, this paper describes an idea of a wireless building monitoring and control system. The first prototype of the system has been installed in 10 residential buildings and in 10 school buildings located in the City of Kuopio, Finland. Keywords—Energy efficiency, Indoor air quality, Monitoring system, Building automation


In light microscopy, spatial resolution is limited by diffraction effect. Confocal microscopy has improved resolutions in both lateral and axial directions, but these are still limited by diffraction effect. Confocal self-interference microscopy (CSIM) uses interference between two perpendicularly polarized beams to enhance lateral resolution. In previous research, we proposed a calcite plate with its optic-axis perpendicular to the propagation angle and one of the boundary surfaces of the plate. This type of plate is not widely used to our knowledge. In this paper, we change the calcite plate to more common one, which is commercially available. This calcite plate has its optic axis in the plane of incidence. We analyze the characteristics of this calcite plate and numerically compare the performances of CSIM in previous research and CSIM with the commercial calcite plate. Numerical results show improved performance when using the commercial calcite plate


Power in global finance originates from the ability to attract and supply capital. This paper presents a complex network analysis of the global banking system from 1999-2009. It uncovers important determinants of the patterns of integration in global banking. The central argument is that both country-level attributes and structural processes drive network formation, in different ways: country-level political and economic attributes whether a national banking system attracts ties from foreign firms, while structural processes determine the extent to which a country's banking sector becomes prominent globally. I test these hypotheses using Exponential Random Graph models, and show how inferences from complex network models are different than those which would be made in typical linear regressions. The results strongly suggest that some domestic political and economic variables influence lower-level -- but not higher-level -- dependencies in the global banking system, while structural processes are important at all levels. In particular, preferential attachment reinforces the structure of the global banking system. This suggests that analyses which do not take system structure into account are likely to yield false inferences.


[Context] Empirical software engineering (EMSE) researchers conduct systematic literature reviews (SLRs) to build bodies of knowledge (BoKs). Unfortunately, valuable knowledge collected in the SLR process is publicly available only to a limited extent, which considerably slows down building BoKs incrementally. [Objective] In this paper, we introduce the Systematic Knowledge Engineering (SKE) process to support building up BoKs from empirical studies efficiently. [Method] SKE is based on the SLR process and on Knowledge Engineering (KE) practices to provide a Knowledge Base (KB) with semantic technologies that enable reusing intermediate data extraction results and querying of empirical evidence. We evaluated SKE by building a software inspection EMSE BoK KB from knowledge acquired by controlled experiments. We elicited relevant queries from EMSE researchers and systematically integrated information from 30 representative research papers into the KB. [Results] The resulting KB was effective in answering the queries, enabling knowledge reuse for analyses beyond the results from the SLR process. [Conclusion] SKE showed promising results in the software inspection context and should be evaluated in other contexts for building EMSE BoKs faster. Keywords-Empirical software engineering, systematic knowledge engineering, systematic review, software inspection.


Background Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best biomarker of inflammatory disease activity in relapsing remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) so far but the association with disability is weak. Appearance of new MRI-lesions is used to evaluate response to immunotherapies in individual patients as well as being the most common primary outcome in phase-2 trials. Measurements of brain atrophy show promising outcomes in natural cohort studies and some phase-2 trials. From a theoretical perspective they might represent irreversible neurodegeneration and be more closely associated with disability. However, these atrophy measurements are not yet established as prognostic factors in real-life clinical routine. High field MRI has improved image quality and resolution and new methods to measure atrophy dynamics have become available. Objective To investigate the predictive value of MRI classification criteria in to high/low atrophy and inflammation groups, and to explore predictive capacity of two consecutive routine MRI scans for disability progression in RRMS in a real-life prospective cohort. Methods 82 RRMS-patients (40 untreated, 42 treated with immunotherapies, mean age 40 years, median Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) of 2, underwent two clinically indicated MRI scans (3 Tesla) within 5–14 months, and EDSS assessment after a mean of 3.0 (1.5–4.2) years. We investigated the predictive value of predefined classifications in low/high inflammatory and atrophy groups for EDSS progression (≥1.5 if baseline EDSS = 0, ≥1.0 if baseline EDSS <5, ≥0.5 for other) by chi-square tests and by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The classifications were based on current scientific or clinical recommendation (e.g., treatment response criteria). Brain atrophy was assessed with three different methods (SIENA, SIENAX, and FreeSurfer). Post-hoc analyses aimed to explore clinical data and dynamics of MRI outcomes as predictors in multivariate linear and logit models. Results Progression was observed in 24% of patients and was independent from treatment status. None of the predefined classifications were predictive for progression. Explorative post-hoc analyses found lower baseline EDSS and higher grey matter atrophy (FreeSurfer) as best predictors (R2 = 0.29) for EDSS progression and the accuracy was overall good (Area under the curve = 0.81). Conclusion Beside EDSS at baseline, short-term grey matter atrophy is predictive for EDSS progression in treated and untreated RRMS. The development of atrophy measurements for individual risk counselling and evaluation of treatment response seems possible, but needs further validation in larger cohorts. MRI-atrophy estimates from the FreeSurfer toolbox seem to be more reliable than older methods.


Multidimensional Fourier transforms, Parseval's theorem, and Schwarz's inequality, used in concert, show how to apodize a lens to minimize the nth moment of the irradiance in the diffraction pattern for a given central irradiance. Replacing Schwarz's inequality with the calculus of variations, we can find the pupils that minimize quotients of certain different moments. In particular, the mean-square miss distance of a photon gun is minimized if the waves it launches have amplitudes that decrease as the Jo Bessel function moves from the center of the projecting lens and reach zero at the rim.


Despite India's enormous technological potential, indigenous medicinal knowledge and various initiatives by the government and industry at translational cycle, the country carries a global disease burden of 21%, majorly contributed by dual disease burden. Public health faces the major anomalies of 3A (accessibility, affordability, availability) of the healthcare sector, possibly due to restrictive coordination among stakeholders, transiting disease profile, undeveloped delivery system and regulatory mechanisms. This article emphasizes the significance of integrative approach of using our research and development strength and establishing a strong intellectual property system for conducive healthcare environment, accentuating the significance of 3P (public–private partnership) in addressing the major anomalies of 3A.


It has now been ten years since the idea of global online communication first entered the popular consciousness. And while the internet has undoubtedly opened up new worlds of interaction and cooperation across borders, this increased transnational activity has also at times inspired parochialism, at least among the legislatures and courts of nation-states around the globe. Such assertions of national authority have helped to reawaken scholarly interest in the classic triumvirate of topics historically grouped together under the rubric of conflicts of laws: jurisdiction, choice of law, and recognition of judgments. In a previous article, I argued that territorially-based conceptions of legal jurisdiction may no longer be adequate in an era when ideas of bounded nation-state communities operating within fixed territorial borders are under challenge. I offered instead what I called a cosmopolitan pluralist conception of jurisdiction: cosmopolitan because it recognized the possibility that people can hold multiple, sometimes non-territorial, community affiliations; and pluralist because it acknowledged that forms of legal (or quasi-legal) jurisdiction can be asserted by communities that are not official state-sanctioned courts. This essay turns the focus to choice of law and recognition of judgments. Analyzing three recent U.S. cases (two involving choice of law and one addressing recognition of judgments), I seek to apply some of the principles of cosmopolitanism to consider how courts should understand their institutional role in cases raising multinational concerns. Taking seriously the observation that in conflicts scholarship there is nothing truly new under the sun, the cosmopolitan perspective I offer here does not purport to create a new theory of choice of law. Instead, it combines aspects of each of the three major choice-of-law regimes of the twentieth century-vested rights, governmental interests, and the substantive law method - to shape an overall attitude with which judges can approach cases involving conflicting transnational legal norms. This attitude starts from the idea that governments have an interest not only in helping in-state litigants win the particular litigation at issue, but a more important longer-term interest in being cooperative members of an international system and sharing in its reciprocal benefits and burdens. Similarly, with regard to judgment recognition, the cosmopolitan perspective asks judges to consider the independent value of enforcing a foreign judgment, even when that judgment is contrary to local policy choices. Moreover, the cosmopolitan approach focuses less on literal contacts with a territorially-based sovereign entity and more on the extent to which the various parties might be deemed to have affiliations with the possible communities seeking to impose their norms. Thus, while derived from various extant conflicts theories, the cosmopolitan perspective yields a distinctive approach, and one that I believe is better suited to a world of interconnection, interrelationship, and multiple community affiliations.


This paper examines the general characteristics of real estate programs offered at German universities. The analysis is based on an extensive questionnaire, which was sent out to all German universities offering a degree course with a real estate major or a dedicated real estate course. The results of this study are thought to shed light on differing concepts of real estate education in Germany and will try show similarities and dissimilarities of the real estate program regarding the university status of the course provider (University, University of Applied Sciences, University of Cooperative Education), course funding (public/private), integration between theory and practice as well as characteristics of the current students as well as alumni.


[1] The Taiwan Chelungpu-Fault Drilling Project was undertaken in 2002 to investigate the faulting mechanism of the 1999 Mw 7.6 Taiwan Chi-Chi earthquake. Hole B penetrated the Chelungpu fault, and core samples were recovered from between 948.42- and 1352.60-m depth. Three major zones, designated FZB1136 (fault zone at 1136-m depth in hole B), FZB1194, and FZB1243, were recognized in the core samples as active fault zones within the Chelungpu fault. Nondestructive continuous physical property measurements, conducted on all core samples, revealed that the three major fault zones were characterized by low gamma ray attenuation (GRA) densities and high magnetic susceptibilities. Extensive fracturing and cracks within the fault zones and/or loss of atoms with high atomic number, but not a measurement artifact, might have caused the low GRA densities, whereas the high magnetic susceptibility values might have resulted from the formation of magnetic minerals from paramagnetic minerals by frictional heating. Minor fault zones were characterized by low GRA densities and no change in magnetic susceptibility, and the latter may indicate that these minor zones experienced relatively low frictional heating. Magnetic susceptibility in a fault zone may be key to the determination that frictional heating occurred during an earthquake on the fault.


Abstract. Runoff estimation in ungauged catchments is probably one of the most basic and oldest tasks of hydrologists. This long-standing issue has received increased attention recently due to the PUB (Prediction in Ungauged Basins) initiative. Given the challenges of predicting runoff for ungauged catchments one might argue that the best course of action is to take a few runoff measurements. In this study we explored how implementing such a procedure might support predictions in an ungauged basin. We used a number of monitored Swedish catchments as hypothetical ungauged basins where we pretended to start with no runoff data and then added different sub-sets of the available data to constrain a simple catchment model. These sub-sets consisted of a limited number of single runoff measurements; in other words these data represent what could be measured with limited efforts in an ungauged basin. We used a Monte Carlo approach and predicted runoff as a weighted ensemble mean of simulations using acceptable parameter sets. We found that the ensemble prediction clearly outperformed the predictions using single parameter sets and that surprisingly little runoff data was necessary to identify model parameterizations that provided good results for the "ungauged" test periods. These results indicated that a few runoff measurements can contain much of the information content of continuous runoff time series. However, the study also indicated that results may differ significantly between catchments and also depend on the days chosen for taking the measurements.


Rapid increases in cellular data traffic demand creative alternative delivery vectors for data. Despite the conceptual attractiveness of mobile data offloading, no concrete web server architectures integrate intelligent offloading in a production-ready and easily deployable manner without relying on vast infrastructural changes to carriers' networks. Delay-tolerant networking technology offers the means to do just this. We introduce MADServer, a novel DTN-based architecture for mobile data offloading that splits web con- tent among multiple independent delivery vectors based on user and data context. It enables intelligent data offload- ing, caching, and querying solutions which can be incorporated in a manner that still satisfies user expectations for timely delivery. At the same time, it allows for users who have poor or expensive connections to the cellular network to leverage multi-hop opportunistic routing to send and receive data. We also present a preliminary implementation of MADServer and provide real-world performance evaluations.


In this article, I explore issues of commitment to truth in dating ads that use apparently impossible categorizations to project identities for ad writers and their desired others. The article begins with a brief overview of relevant aspects of Text World Theory (especially Gavins's work on dating ads), Sinclair's model of fictional worlds and Routledge and Chapman's account of truth-commitment in discourse, and proposes the need for a framework that allows for a partial suspension of commitment to truth. I then draw on the work of Ivanič and Weldon on identity in writing, in order to develop an account that offers a discourse- and genre-based discussion of how the intertextual metaphors in such ads are interpreted in relation to truth values. I suggest the default stance is that of positive commitment to literal truth and that, when this is not possible, a fall-back mode of negative commitment to metaphorical truth is preferred over an interpretation in which questions of truth are truly suspended. Finally, I consider a related category, of apparently negative dating ad identities, in order to suggest a functional motivation for the inclusion of elements that cannot be interpreted in truth-committed mode.


Abstract In this paper, we deal with the European electricity market liberalization problem, formulated as a game with electricity producers as players, while the consumers' electricity demand is exogenous. The producers maximize their profit by choosing how much electricity they will produce individually by means of electricity production available to them. The aim of the research presented in this paper is to investigate the differences between the resulting electricity prices with different scenarios: a market with one Stackelberg leading producer, a market with two Stackelberg leading producers being noncooperative among themselves, and a perfectly competitive market. In the case studies the games involving one, two, and eight European countries are played. In the scenarios dealt with in this paper the perfectly competitive market yields the lowest electricity prices for the consumers. However, we also discuss possible drawbacks of liberalization. Our research aims to help understanding the complex process of electricity market liberalization.


Governments around the world are moving toward a more global perspective in their efforts to address complex social, political, and economic issues. New requirements for international cross-boundary collaboration, driven by this global view, demand a new understanding about how individual nations respond to public problems and how nations work together in response to transnational problems. In addition, new forms of government enabled by information technologies and made possible through new models of collaboration are emerging. The future of public administration is clearly linked to the development and management of new forms of collaborative governance and the use of information technologies. Globalization is also contributing to the internationalization of the public sector, in which cross-boundary collaboration and information sharing will happen not only within a country, but between nations. This paper contributes to the exchange of knowledge about the future of public administration by presenting a view that considers important trends in public management and public service around the world. As a backdrop we first present a discussion about the emergence in public administration toward post-bureaucratic organizations and interorganizational networks. E-government and cross boundary information sharing are then introduced as part of the new context of public administration. We then draw the focus back to the importance of collaboration and information sharing in transnational public problems and international cooperation and characterize the need for new capability in working across the boundaries of organizations, governments, regions, and nations. Finally, drawing on this discussion we outline four topics of critical importance for inclusion in the public administration classroom to fully prepare students to work in the government of the 21 Century; Post-Bureaucracy and Organizational Networks, Information Technologies and Inter-organizational Information Integration, Collaborative Governance and Interoperability: Creating policy, management, and technology capability, and Transnational Problems and the Internationalization of Public Administration. The new generation of public administrators must understand the importance of collaborative governance, information technologies, and the internationalization of complex social problems for the public administration of the twenty first century.


"The Reception of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell In England and America," by Wayne Eric Kuehne. This thesis considers the reception of Schiller's Wilhelm Tell in England and America from its first publi¬ cation in 1804 to the present. The main sections of the thesis treat the reception of the play as a literary work, as a textbook for schools and colleges, and as a drama appearing on the stage. Appendices are included which indicate the circulation of the play in textbooks and English translations. In two particular areas, this thesis contradicts previous research: First, the Schiller celebrations, especially the celebration of 1859, have been portrayed as popular demonstrations of affection by non-Germans for Germany's poet of freedom. No evidence could be found to indicate any such popularity either before or after 1859. The greatest support for Tel I and Schiller in either country came from the German Forty-eighters and the Turnverelne. but there is no evidence that any considerable percentage of the German immigrants shared their views. The great success of the celebrations among the immigrants lay In the fact that they were literally "celebrations." Second, In determining the reception of Tell, the thesis investigates the assumption that James Sheridan Knowles' William Tell: or. The Hero of Switzerland (1825) Is "an English adaptation of the German play." This assumption is rejected* Knowles* play cannot in any sense be considered an "adaptation of Schiller's play." The similarities can be explained by the fact that they both use the same historical sources. It is doubtful that Knowles* Te11 would have been confused as an adaptation if it had been written prior to 1804. Since it is so frequently cited as "the" English version of Schiller's Tell for the stage, an interesting and significant question arises: has a direct translation of Schiiler*s Te11 ever been performed on the English or American stage! So far as this investigation has been able to determine, no such English performance has ever been undertaken. A definitive history of Schiller's plays would have to continue this investigation. The absence of Tel I on the English-language stage considerably alters the picture of the popular reception which works dealing with this subject have created. In considering the reception of the play, the Influence of the German immigrants, especially the Forty-elghters, has long been neglected as a major factor in the popularity the play enjoyed.


Abstract. As a part of the IPY project POLARCAT (Polar Study using Aircraft, Remote Sensing, Surface Measurements and Models, of Climate, Chemistry, Aerosols and Transport) and building on previous work (Hirdman et al., 2010), this paper studies the long-term trends of both atmospheric transport as well as equivalent black carbon (EBC) and sulphate for the three Arctic stations Alert, Barrow and Zeppelin. We find a general downward trend in the measured EBC concentrations at all three stations, with a decrease of −2.1±0.4 ng m−3 yr−1 (for the years 1989–2008) and −1.4±0.8 ng m−3 yr−1 (2002–2009) at Alert and Zeppelin respectively. The decrease at Barrow is, however, not statistically significant. The measured sulphate concentrations show a decreasing trend at Alert and Zeppelin of −15±3 ng m−3 yr−1 (1985–2006) and −1.3±1.2 ng m−3 yr−1 (1990–2008) respectively, while there is no trend detectable at Barrow. To reveal the contribution of different source regions on these trends, we used a cluster analysis of the output of the Lagrangian particle dispersion model FLEXPART run backward in time from the measurement stations. We have investigated to what extent variations in the atmospheric circulation, expressed as variations in the frequencies of the transport from four source regions with different emission rates, can explain the long-term trends in EBC and sulphate measured at these stations. We find that the long-term trend in the atmospheric circulation can only explain a minor fraction of the overall downward trend seen in the measurements of EBC (0.3–7.2%) and sulphate (0.3–5.3%) at the Arctic stations. The changes in emissions are dominant in explaining the trends. We find that the highest EBC and sulphate concentrations are associated with transport from Northern Eurasia and decreasing emissions in this region drive the downward trends. Northern Eurasia (cluster: NE, WNE and ENE) is the dominant emission source at all Arctic stations for both EBC and sulphate during most seasons. In wintertime, there are indications that the EBC emissions from the eastern parts of Northern Eurasia (ENE cluster) have increased over the last decade.


The use of large, air-cooled condensers (ACC's) for the cooling of turbine exhaust steam at steam/electric power plants is chosen more frequently as concerns over water conservation and water-related environmental issues become more prevalent. While dry cooling achieves significant reductions in plant water consumption, it does so at increased cost and reduced plant efficiency and output when compared to the more commonly used closed-cycle wet cooling systems. Maintaining full cooling capability under all operating conditions is crucial to the efficiency and economic viability of the plant. The effect of wind on ACC performance is the most significant challenge associated with ACC specification, design and performance. Extensive field measurements have been made on five utility-scale ACC's to determine their operation and performance under varying wind conditions. The primary wind-related effects are shown to be hot air recirculation and degraded fan performance. The total effect on performance plus the relative importance of the two mechanisms are related to wind conditions and ACC configurations. Brief comparisons of field data to the results of CFD modeling are discussed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


Global changes would have impacts worldwide, but their effects should be even more exacerbated in areas particularly vulnerable. Mountainous areas are among these vulnerable territories. Ecological systems are often at a fragile equilibrium, socio-economical activities are often climate-dependent and climate-driven natural hazards can be a major threat for human activities. In order to estimate the capacity of such mountainous valleys to face global changes (climate, but also climate- and human- induced land-use changes), it is necessary to be able to evaluate the evolution of the different threats. The present work presents a method to evaluate the influences of the evolution of both climate and vegetation cover on landslides activities over a whole valley, to propose adequate solutions for current and future forestry management. It is therefore necessary to properly estimate the vegetation influences on slope stabilities. In the present study, we develop a complementary module to our large-scale slope stability assessment tool to take into account the effects of vegetation on the mechanical soil properties (cohesion and over-load), but also on the slope hydrology (change in interceptions, run-off, and infiltration). Hence the proposed method combines a mechanical stability model (using finite slope analysis), a hydrological model, and a vegetation module which interfere with both aspects. All these elements are interfaced within a GIS-based solution. The whole chain is applied to a 100-km² Pyrenean Valley, for the ANR Project SAMCO (Society Adaptation for coping with Mountain risks in a global change COntext), as a first step in the chain for risk assessment for different climate and economical development scenarios, to evaluate the resilience of mountainous areas.


Previous research has identified an association between malpractice liability risk levels in a state and greater use of cesarean sections in obstetrical care. However, it is unclear whether such practice changes are associated with better birth outcomes. Using a mixed‐effects model, we investigate the impact of malpractice risk, as measured by malpractice insurance premiums and various state tort reforms, on four adverse birth outcomes. We use a longitudinal research design to examine millions of individual births from 51 jurisdictions over 12 years (1991–2002). We find that the odds of adverse birth outcomes are not associated with premium levels or tort reforms. Our results suggest that rather than having a socially desirable deterrent effect on substandard care, liability pressure may produce a level of precaution taking in obstetrics that is higher than socially optimal. By the same token, the results also suggest that the adoption of liability‐limiting reforms is unlikely to have an adverse impact on outcomes.


The unique characteristics of vehicular ad hoc network (VANET) such as highly dynamic mobility and constrained mobility pattern along predetermined road have made the existing routing protocols designed for traditional mobile adhoc network (MANET) cannot be directly applied to support the reliability of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication in VANET. AODV+ protocol was proposed to support the internet connectivity for MANETs by utilizing a gateway to communicate between mobile network and infrastructure network. However, AODV+ only considers that the destination node lies on the infrastructure network (Internet). When a link breaks, reliable transmission from source to destination cannot be maintained. In the present paper, an extension of AODV+ routing protocol for VANETs called M-AODV+ (Modified AODV+) is proposed. The proposed M-AODV+ routing protocol supports the reliability of vehicle-to-vehicle communication in VANETs by enabling vehicleto- infrastructure (V2I) and infrastructure-to-infrastructure (I2I) communications as alternative communication links among vehicles when single hop or multi-hop communication in the mobile network is not possible. M-AODV+ consists of three parts: communication channel selection, gateway discovery, and I2I communication routing. The simulation results show that the proposed protocol improves the performance in terms of packet delivery fraction in the given simulation scenarios compared to that of AODV+ routing protocol with a slight loss on the average end-to-end delay.


This paper argues that lack of OS support for GPU abstractions fundamentally limits the usability of GPUs in many application domains. OSes offer abstractions for most common resources such as CPUs, input devices, and file systems. In contrast, OSes currently hide GPUs behind an awkward ioctl interface, shifting the burden for abstractions onto user libraries and run-times. Consequently, OSes cannot provide system-wide guarantees such as fairness and isolation for GPUs, and developers must sacrifice modularity and performance when composing systems that integrate GPUs along with other OS-managed resources. We propose new kernel abstractions to support GPUs and other accelerator devices as first class computing resources.


This paper introduces a definition of sand/dust storm process as a new standard and idea of sand/dust storm (SDS) groups a number of SDS-events in Northeast Asia. Based on the meteorological data from WMO/GOS network, 2456 Chinese surface stations and NCEP-NCAR reanalysis, the sand/dust storm processes in Northeast Asia in spring 2000–2006 are investigated. And the evolutions of anomalies of general circulation in the troposphere are analyzed by comparing the spring having most and least occurrences of SDS in year 2006 and 2003. Associated with the noticeably increased occurrence of SDS processes in spring 2006, the anomalies in 3-D structure of general circulation especially in the mid-and high latitudes of the Northen Hemisphere (NH) are revealed. The transition period from the winter of 2005 to spring 2006 has witnessed a fast-developed high center over the circumpolar vortex area in the upper troposphere, which pushes the polar vortex more southwards to mid-latitudes with a more extensive area over the east NH. In spring 2006, there are the significant circulation anomalies in the middle troposphere from the Baikal Lake to northern China with a stronger southward wind anomaly over Northeast Asia. Compared with a normal year, stronger meridional wind with a southward wind anomaly also in the lower troposphere prevail over the arid and semiarid regions in Mongolia and northern China during spring 2006. The positive anomalies of surface high pressure registered an abnormal high of 4–10 hPa in the Tamil Peninsular make a stronger cold air source for the repeated cold air outbreak across the desert areas in spring 2006 resulting in the most frequent SDS seasons in the last 10 years in Northeast Asia.


In Europe, television began in a public format and public broadcasting defined the medium. But in America, public television was created to fill the programming void left by commercial TV, and has been tolerated as a belated addition rather than as an equal. For decades commercial television was controlled by three networks--ABC, NBC, and CBS--the economic imperative of which led toward entertainment. Education, by default, was served by public television, always the weaker part of the broadcast system in terms of resources and audience. Money was only part of the problem; the other was organization and vision. During the 1980s, cable television expanded rapidly, and with it, private cable channels. Public TV largely missed out on the opportunity to enter the era of multichannel television. This book examines public television today, as it stands at a major crossroad. Technologically, digitalization, multicasting, and the Internet provide a new challenge. Institutionally, the structure of the entire system is under scrutiny. And finally, its long-term funding mechanism is less certain than ever before.


Background Current methods used in medical literatures to estimate social network effects of health outcomes may be biased to find these effects, even if none actually exist. Objective To investigate whether we detect network effects for health outcomes that are unlikely to be subject to network phenomena. Design Our methods include statistical analysis now common in network studies such as logistic regression analysis with own and friend's lagged health status controlled. We extend the analysis by controlling for environmental confounders. Setting Sub-samples of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health). Participants Between 4,300 and 5,400 male and female adolescents who nominated a friend in the dataset and who were both longitudinally surveyed. Measurements Health outcomes, including headache severity, acne severity, and height were self-reported by respondents in 1994/5, 1995/6, and 2000/1. Results We find statistically significant network effects in the acquisition of acne, headaches and height. A friend's acne problems increased an individual's odds of acne problems (OR: 1.47, 95% confidence interval [0.93-2.33]). The likelihood that an individual has headaches also increases with the presence of a friend with headaches (OR: 1.62 [0.91-2.89]). An individual's height increases by 20% of his/her friends' height [0.15-0.26]. Each of these results was estimated using standard methodology found in several publications in leading medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and other outlets. However, once environmental confounders are controlled, the results become uniformly smaller and insignificant. Conclusions Caution is suggested in attributing correlations in health outcomes of close friends to social network effects, especially when environmental confounders are not adequately controlled in the analysis.


The waveform of the cortical event-related potential is extremely sensitive to variations in the sequence of stimuli preceding the eliciting event. The waveform changes were manifested primarily in the amplitudes of the negative component of the potential that peaked at 200 milliseconds, the positive component that peaked at 300 milliseconds, and the slow-wave components. A quantitative model was developed relating the waveform changes to changes in event expectancy. Expectancy is assumed to depend on a decaying memory for events within the prior sequence, the specific structure of the sequence, and the global probability of event occurrence. For stimuli relevant to the task, the less expected the stimulus the larger the amplitudes of late components of the event-related potentials.


The role of the interface potential on the effective mass of charge carriers is elucidated in this work. We develop a new theoretical formalism using a spatially dependent effective mass that is related to the magnitude of the interface potential. Using this formalism, we studied Ge quantum dots (QDs) formed by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) and co-sputtering (sputter). These samples allowed us to isolate important consequences arising from differences in the interface potential. We found that for a higher interface potential, as in the case of PECVD QDs, there is a larger reduction in the effective mass, which increases the confinement energy with respect to the sputter sample. We further understood the action of O interface states by comparing our results with Ge QDs grown by molecular beam epitaxy. It is found that the O states can suppress the influence of the interface potential. From our theoretical formalism, we determine the length scale over which the interface potential influences the effective mass.


GNSS has been proved to have great potential for Safety-of-Life critical rail applications, particularly the train control technique and railway signalling. In the GNSS based train positioning scheme, although with the aid of inertial sensors (e.g. the odometer, gyro, accelerator and Doppler radar) some systematic and random errors could be reduced or limited by an appropriate measuring method and data fusion filtering, it is significant to improve and guarantee the positioning precision and integrity performance by using the map matching (MM) technique in a cost effective way. In this paper, the structure of an electrical track map database is designed according to the requirements of precision and efficiency, the architecture of a GNSS based train positioning system integrating INS sensors is introduced, and a novel hybrid map matching algorithm is proposed, in which the determined train position is the integration of the position solution from multi-sensor fusion, the identification of the similarity or matching probability, and heading validation, with different track map levels. As the "point-to-curve" and "point-to-point" matching strategy are adopted with the provided feature of track map data, the adaptive performance and completeness of the map matching algorithm is guaranteed and improved. A field test in the Qinghai-Tibet line demonstrates that the proposed algorithm earns high position decision accuracy and integrity with simple implementation, which is of great practical value to precise train control and railway signalling.


Abstract This article analyses (the scope of) the legal obligations owed by African states under the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights directly to residents of third states in Africa in the realisation of such non-residents' human and peoples' rights guaranteed in the premier continental human rights instrument. The central question is whether a state owes the quartet layers of obligations (to 'respect, protect, promote and fulfil') for the realisation of Charter-based guarantees only to those within its own borders or also to those beyond (in another state's territory). The article thus examines the question of to whom – only to those within or also to those outside a state's territory – the state's human rights obligations are owed and on whose behalf the obligations are to be fulfilled in the context of the African Charter. In order to answer this question, the article analyses the corpus of the African Charter, related jurisprudence of the African Commission, and relevant international and regional human rights treaties and case law, which may be relied upon as 'inspirational sources' for the interpretation and application of the African Charter. The article demonstrates that the African Charter allows wide latitude for the extraterritorial application of human and peoples' rights, state duties and the Charterbased remedies it enshrines. '[I]t is space, not time, that hides consequences from us'.


When Paula asked me to be the keynote speaker at this conference, I naturally wanted to pick a big, important topic that was relevant to consumer researchers, you, the audience. I am working on three big topics at the moment, between editions of the Rossiter and Percy textbook. One topic is marketing knowledgewhat it is and how we can test it. I have a large ARC grant for that one. A second topic is a new procedure for the measurement of marketing constructs-a replacement for the narrow Churchill procedure that everyone seems to follow. Some of you have seen working paper versions of this and I hope it will be published in a major marketing journal soon. The third topic, the one I have chosen, is certainly a big topic and one that has been on my mind for some time, and that is: which theoretical perspective is best for studying and doing research in consumer behaviour? The title refers to three forms of behaviourism-eognitive, emotional, and hard-core. This is deliberate, because I think we are all behaviourists in some form or other in that the dependent variable that we try to describe, explain and predict is the behaviour or behaviours of consumers. Most of us are also philosophically behaviourists, although there might be a few relativists, existentialists, and even just plain hedonists out there. However, no consumer researcher whom I know, with the single exceptioq of Gordon Foxall in England, is a hard-core behaviourist, or what is called in psychology a radical behaviourist. Radical behaviourism denies the existence of mental events, such as attitudes, or at least refuses to accord them explanatory status. B. F. Skinner was of course the ultimate radical behaviourist, describing thinking, a main part of what we would now call cognition, in behavioural terms as "inner speech," as had John B. Watson earlier. This is to be distinguished from methodological behaviourism, which allows mental events but prefers the recording of observable behaviour, ratherthan, say, the elicitation ofself-reports, as theway ofstudying them. It is a pity that we don't have more radical behaviourists among consumer researchers, because this perspective, as we shall see, has certain advantages, one of them parsimony, which is a refreshing change from the "kitchen sink" approach favoured by . many cognitive behaviourists.


The Bees in Your Backyard provides an engaging introduction to the roughly 4,000 different bee species found in the United States and Canada, dispelling common myths about bees while offering essential tips for telling them apart in the field.The book features more than 900 stunning color photos of the bees living all around us—in our gardens and parks, along nature trails, and in the wild spaces between. It describes their natural history, including where they live, how they gather food, their role as pollinators, and even how to attract them to your own backyard. Ideal for amateur naturalists and experts alike, it gives detailed accounts of every bee family and genus in North America, describing key identification features, distributions, diets, nesting habits, and more.Provides the most comprehensive and accessible guide to all bees in the United States and CanadaFeatures more than 900 full-color photosOffers helpful identification tips and pointers for studying beesIncludes a full chapter on how to attract bees to your backyard


In the past years, genome biology had disclosed an ever-growing kind of biological targets that emerged as ideal points for therapeutic intervention. Nevertheless, the number of new chemical entities (NCEs) translated into effective therapies employed in the clinic, still not observed. Innovative strategies in drug discovery combined with different approaches to drug design should be searched for bridge this gap. In this context organic synthetic chemistry had to provide for effective strategies to achieve biologically active small molecules to consider not only as potentially drug candidates, but also as chemical tools to dissect biological systems.
In this scenario, during my PhD, inspired by the Biology-oriented Synthesis approach, a small library of hybrid molecules endowed with privileged scaffolds, able to block cell cycle and to induce apoptosis and cell differentiation, merged with natural-like cores were synthesized. A synthetic platform which joined a Domino Knoevenagel-Diels Alder reaction with a Suzuki coupling was performed in order to reach the hybrid compounds. These molecules can represent either antitumor lead candidates, or valuable chemical tools to study molecular pathways in cancer cells. The biological profile expressed by some of these derivatives showed a well defined antiproliferative activity on leukemia Bcr-Abl expressing K562 cell lines.
A parallel project regarded the rational design and synthesis of minimally structurally hERG blockers with the purpose of enhancing the SAR studies of a previously synthesized collection. A Target-Oriented Synthesis approach was applied. Combining conventional and microwave heating, the desired final compounds were achieved in good yields and reaction rates. The preliminary biological results of the compounds, showed a potent blocking activity. The obtained small set of hERG blockers, was able to gain more insight the minimal structural requirements for hERG liability, which is mandatory to investigate in order to reduce the risk of potential side effects of new drug candidates.


Trabecular architecture (i.e., the main orientation of the bone trabeculae, their number, mean thickness, spacing, etc.) has been shown experimentally to adapt with great accuracy and sensitivity to the loadings applied to the bone during life. However, the potential of trabecular parameters used as a proxy for the mechanical environment of an organism's organ to help reconstruct the lifestyle of extinct taxa has only recently started to be exploited. Furthermore, these parameters are rarely combined to the long-used mid-diaphyseal parameters to inform such reconstructions. Here we investigate xenarthrans, for which functional and ecological reconstructions of extinct forms are particularly important in order to improve our macroevolutionary understanding of their main constitutive clades, i.e., the Tardigrada (sloths), Vermilingua (anteaters), and Cingulata (armadillos and extinct close relatives). The lifestyles of modern xenarthrans can be classified as fully terrestrial and highly fossorial (armadillos), arboreal (partly to fully) and hook-and-pull digging (anteaters), or suspensory (fully arboreal) and non-fossorial (sloths). The degree of arboreality and fossoriality of some extinct forms, "ground sloths" in particular, is highly debated. We used high-resolution computed tomography to compare the epiphyseal 3D architecture and mid-diaphyseal structure of the forelimb bones of extant and extinct xenarthrans. The comparative approach employed aims at inferring the most probable lifestyle of extinct taxa, using phylogenetically informed discriminant analyses. Several challenges preventing the attribution of one of the extant xenarthran lifestyles to the sampled extinct sloths were identified. Differing from that of the larger "ground sloths", the bone structure of the small-sized Hapalops (Miocene of Argentina), however, was found as significantly more similar to that of extant sloths, even when accounting for the phylogenetic signal.


Randy Nordell Making Outlook 2010 Work for You A Comprehensive Look at Outlook With Microsoft Office 2010, Outlook has added valuable new features and has significant enhancements, including the addition of the ribbon format. This textbook, Making Outlook 2010 Work for You by Randy Nordell, provides a comprehensive solution for learning Outlook 2010. While starting with a foundation of E-mail, Calendar, Contacts, and Tasks in the first six chapters, the later half delves deeper into these essential topics to cover the advanced features available in Outlook. Making Outlook 2010 Work for You provides students and instructors with a blended approach of a step-by-step tutorial textbook and a reference text, thus allowing for continued learning both within the course and beyond! This textbook also correlates with SimNet Online, our online training and assessment program for Microsoft Office 2010.


To build complex genetic networks with predictable behaviours, synthetic biologists use libraries of modular parts that can be characterized in isolation and assembled together to create programmable higher-order functions. Characterization experiments and computational models for gene regulatory parts operating in isolation are routinely employed to predict the dynamics of interconnected parts and guide the construction of new synthetic devices. Here, we individually characterize two modes of RNA-based transcriptional regulation, using small transcription activating RNAs (STARs) and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi), and show how their distinct regulatory timescales can be used to engineer a composed feedforward loop that creates a pulse of gene expression. We use a cell-free transcription-translation system (TXTL) to rapidly characterize the system, and we apply Bayesian inference to extract kinetic parameters for an ODE-based mechanistic model. We then demonstrate in simulation and verify with TXTL experiments that the simultaneous regulation of a single gene target with STARs and CRISPRi leads to a pulse of gene expression. Our results suggest the modularity of the two regulators in an integrated genetic circuit, and we anticipate that construction and modeling frameworks that can leverage this modularity will become increasingly important as synthetic circuits increase in complexity.


Spontaneous eye movements of zebrafish larvae in the dark consist of centrifugal saccades that move the eyes from a central to an eccentric position and postsaccadic centripetal drifts. In a previous study, we showed that the fitted single-exponential time constants of the postsaccadic drifts are longer in the temporal-to-nasal (T->N) direction than in the nasal-to-temporal (N->T) direction. In the present study, we further report that saccadic peak velocities are higher and saccadic amplitudes are larger in the N->T direction than in the T->N direction. We investigated the underlying mechanism of this ocular disconjugacy in the dark with a top-down approach. A mathematic ocular motor model, including an eye plant, a set of burst neurons and a velocity-to-position neural integrator (VPNI), was built to simulate the typical larval eye movements in the dark. The modeling parameters, such as VPNI time constants, neural impulse signals generated by the burst neurons and time constants of the eye plant, were iteratively adjusted to fit the average saccadic eye movement. These simulations suggest that four pools of burst neurons and four pools of VPNIs are needed to explain the disconjugate eye movements in our results. A premotor mechanism controls the synchronous timing of binocular saccades, but the pools of burst and integrator neurons in zebrafish larvae seem to be different (and maybe separate) for both eyes and horizontal directions, which leads to the observed ocular disconjugacies during saccades and postsaccadic drifts in the dark.


Aromatic prenylated metabolites have important biological roles and activities in all living organisms. Compared to their importance in all domains of life, we know relatively little about their substrate scopes and metabolic functions. Here, we describe a new UbiA-like prenyltransferase (Ptase) Ubi-297 encoded in a conserved operon of several bacterial taxa, including marine Flavobacteria and the genus Sacchromonospora. In silico analysis of Ubi-297 homologs indicated that members of this Ptase group are composed of several transmembrane α-helices and carry a conserved and distinct aspartic-rich Mg2+-binding domain. We heterologously produced UbiA-like Ptases from the bacterial genera Maribacter, Zobellia, and Algoriphagus in Escherichia coli. Investigation of their substrate scope uncovered the preferential farnesylation of quinoline derivatives, such as 8-hydroxyquinoline-2-carboxylic acid (8-HQA) and quinaldic acid. The results of this study provide new insights into the abundance and diversity of Ptases in marine Flavobacteria and beyond.


Scholars have emphasized the gradual ownership transformation of enterprises as a key driver of the Chinese economy's unprecedented growth. However, little work has been done on the issue of whether this transformation process takes place evenly across the various regions in China. This article describes the important role of regional institutions in shaping the ownership-based competitiveness of local enterprises and the migration of industries across regions. In the case of the Chinese synthetic dye industry, the passing of leadership from state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to collectively owned enterprises (COEs) and then to private enterprises (PEs) was accompanied by a concurrent leadership migration from one region to another. The article contends that this simultaneous occurrence was not accidental. Four institutional constraints--the degree of central supervision, the local labor arrangements, the local social welfare provision, and the degree of ambiguity in property rights--retarded the rise of new ownership forms in the previously dominant regions. This gave other regions the opening to take over leadership positions by providing a more favorable institutional context for new ownership forms. These findings are likely to apply to all of the Chinese manufacturing industries that existed prior to 1978 and that subsequently did not experience significant technological changes and were not highly protected by the government. Copyright 2012 The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Associazione ICC. All rights reserved., Oxford University Press.