We study how mock-observed stellar morphological and structural properties of massive galaxies are built up between z = 0.5 and z = 3 in the TNG50 cosmological simulation. We generate mock images with the properties of the CANDELS survey and derive Sersic parameters and optical rest-frame morphologies as usually done in the observations. Overall, the simulation reproduces the observed evolution of the abundances of different galaxy morphological types of star-forming and quiescent galaxies. The logM∗ − log Re and logM∗ − logΣ1 relations of the simulated star-forming and quenched galaxies also match the observed slopes and zeropoints to within 1-σ. In the simulation, galaxies increase their observed central stellar mass density (Σ1) and transform in morphology from irregular/clumpy systems to normal Hubble-type systems in the Star Formation Main Sequence at a characteristic stellar mass of ∼ 1010.5 M which is reflected in an increase of the central stellar mass density (Σ1). This morphological transformation is connected to the activity of the central Super Massive Black Holes (SMBHs). At low stellar masses (109 < M∗/M < 1010) SMBHs grow rapidly, while at higher mass SMBHs switch into the kinetic feedback mode and grow more slowly. During this low-accretion phase, SMBH feedback leads to the quenching of star-formation, along with a simultaneous growth in Σ1, partly due to the fading of stellar populations. More compact massive galaxies grow their SMBHs faster than extended ones of the same mass and end up quenching earlier. In the TNG50 simulation, SMBHs predominantly grow via gas accretion before galaxies quench, and Σ1 increases substantially after SMBH growth slows down. The simulation predicts therefore that quiescent galaxies have higher Σ1 values than star-forming galaxies for the same SMBH mass, which disagrees with alternative models, and may potentially be in tension with some observations.


One challenge states face in designing an income tax system is deciding how to treat non-resident earners. Numerous states have entered into reciprocity agreements with other states that exclude non-residents' income from the tax base. These agreements provide a unique opportunity to explore the nature of state tax competition. We demonstrate that not only do reciprocity agreements dampen competition over income taxes, but the states that enact agreements also exhibit decreased levels of competition over other tax bases. This suggests that reciprocity agreements are a credible vehicle for states to act cooperatively and avoid a potential race to the bottom.


Optware Corp., the developer of Collinear Holographic* Data Storage System, announced today that it had achieved successfully world's first recording and play back of digital movies on a holographic recording disc with a reflective layer using Optware's revolutionary Collinear Holography. This is a major milestone for commercializing holographic data storage system. The recorded movies were played back in a series of meetings from July eight through 12 with Optware's six existing investors as well as eight enterprises both domestic and overseas including leading manufacturers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business and industrial use. Company names are not disclosed.


Global illumination is a complex all-frequency phenomenon including subtle effects caused by indirect lighting. Computing global illumination interactively for dynamic lighting conditions has many potential applications, notably in architecture, motion pictures and computer games. It remains a challenging issue, despite the considerable amount of research work devoted to finding efficient methods. This paper presents a novel method for fast computation of indirect lighting; combined with a separate calculation of direct lighting, we provide interactive global illumination for scenes with diffuse and glossy materials, and arbitrarily distributed point light sources. To achieve this goal, we introduce three new tools: a 4D wavelet basis for concise radiance expression, an efficient hierarchical pre-computation of the Global Transport Operator representing the entire propagation of radiance in the scene in a single operation, and a run-time projection of direct lighting on to our wavelet basis. The resulting technique allows unprecedented freedom in the interactive manipulation of lighting for static scenes.


[Case records of Epileptic Disorders. Anatomo-electro-clinical correlations. Case 06-2008] Patients with multifocal epilepsy are often considered unsuitable for epilepsy surgery. We report an adolescent with intractable frontal and occipital lobe seizures, secondary to complications of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia as a young child. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy were complicated by bilateral, posterior leukoencephalopathy and later an acquired frontal cerebral cavernous malformation (CCM). Detailed electro-clinical and imaging studies showed multiple, frontal lobe seizures per day with less frequent and non-debilitating, simple, occipital lobe seizures. Focal resection of the frontal CCM abolished the socially-disabling seizures with resultant marked improvement in the patient's quality of life at 12 months. Careful analysis of the type and impact of focal seizures in the setting of multifocal epilepsy may demonstrate that one seizure type is more deleterious to quality of life and may be amenable to surgery. In this situation, the patient may benefit significantly from surgery to resect the more active epileptic focus. [Published with video sequences]


Facing the competing demands for wider field of view and higher spatial resolution, computer vision will evolve toward greater use of foveal sensors and frequent camera movements. Integration of visual information across movements becomes a fundamental problem. We show that integration is possible using a biologically-inspired representation we call the visual-motor calibration map. The map is a memory-based model of the relationship between camera movements and corresponding pixel locations before and after any movement. The map constitutes a self-calibration that can compensate for non-uniform sampling, lens distortion, mechanical misalignments, and arbitrary pixel reordering. Integration takes place entirely in a retinotopic frame, using a short-term, predictive visual memory.


This standard work is an introduction to the interpretation of keyboard music from the fourteenth to the nineteenth century. Dr Ferguson provides information about the instruments themselves, and discusses this vast, fascinating, and ever-changing subject under the headings: musical types and forms, tempo, phrasing and articulation, fingering, rhythmic conventions, the 'tones' or modes, ornamentation, pianists' problems, and editors' problems. It is a clear, detailed, and practical guide to authenticity in performance which all keyboard players wil find indispensable. This reissue incorporates an updated list of modern editions and a completely revised bibliography.


This article extends the Coase Conjecture to ethical issues of initial acquisitions of property rights. The Coase Conjecture complements the Lockean labour-mixing criterion to limit the boundaries of morally legitimate initial acquisitions of unowned property; whenever the Coase Conjecture applies, the Lockean Proviso that there be "enough and as good" left is automatically satisfied. This holds provided that, when a claim is made, the marginal willingness to pay for the last portion of it is zero (infra-marginally, willingness to pay may be arbitrarily high). Thus, the market price of the claim is zero, except for the part of it that the claimant inhabits or improves. "Excessive" claims therefore come to have a zero market price, so anyone may take possession of them, by purchase or theft. In either case they must compensate the original claimant by a zero amount. It follows that non-claimants do not lose by putatively "excessive" grabs by claimants. This article argues that any initial claims are just under these circumstances.


The use of hole gratings in small-spot laser damage testing is discussed. If the intensity loss due to the transmission of the grating and due to the production of several spots can be tolerated, a hole grating is shown to increase the ease of establishing a damage threshold by the production of spots with a wide range of intensities whose ratios are well understood. It allows the investigation of defect-related damage since several regions are illuminated with equal intensities, and it permits the investigation of the effects of several closely spaced simultaneous illuminations. Several types of arrays of circles and ellipses are investigated, and the effects of hole size, hole spacing, hole shape, and elliptical hole orientation are discussed. The effects of apertures of the grating are also discussed. Two methods of suppression of diffraction spots lying outside the Airy disk are described and illustrated which utilize distributions of either circular hole sizes or of elliptical hole orientations. Two arrays are used in damage tests of metal surfaces to illustrate their use.


Germany9s complex relationship to the issue of Palestine is often explained in terms of the country9s past and its consequent affinity for Israel as the perceived homeland of Holocaust survivors. German policy decisions in the last two decades, including the sale of nuclear-capable submarines to Israel, seem to confirm this view. That notwithstanding, argues this article, Germany9s Middle East policy and popular German perceptions of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis must be placed in a more contemporary historical context of evolving political priorities. The article contends that the current political class9 zealous identification with Israel is a qualitatively new phenomenon in Germany largely unrelated to moral considerations pertaining to the Nazi era. In addition to examining how this identification plays out more broadly in society, the article also attempts to locate possible fissures that could give rise to changes in official policy.


While a large literature has investigated the returns to education in high-income countries, evidence on returns in less developed countries is relatively scarce. We pool 61 nationally representative household surveys conducted between 1985 and 2012 in order to address this evidence gap and to estimate average national and regional returns to education. We find a return of 6.5% in the pooled data, with lower returns in rural areas, higher returns for females, higher returns in the years prior to 2000, and lower rates of return in Asian countries compared to Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. With respect to schooling levels, we find lowest returns for primary education, and highest returns to tertiary education, consistent with recent evidence from developed countries. Overall, returns to education in developing countries seem to be similar or lower than those in high-income countries with remarkably large amounts of heterogeneity across countries, time, and regions.While a large literature has investigated the returns to education in high-income countries, evidence on returns in less developed countries is relatively scarce. We pool 61 nationally representative household surveys conducted between 1985 and 2012 in order to address this evidence gap and to estimate average national and regional returns to education. We find a return of 6.5% in the pooled data, with lower returns in rural areas, higher returns for females, higher returns in the years prior to 2000, and lower rates of return in Asian countries compared to Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe. With respect to schooling levels, we find lowest returns for primary education, and highest returns to tertiary education, consistent with recent evidence from developed countries. Overall, returns to education in developing countries seem to be similar or lower than those in high-income countries with remarkably large amounts of heterogeneity across countries, time, and regions. JEL Codes:


In the United States, more than 80 million households participate in some type of gardening activity, including lawn care, vegetable gardening, and flower gardening. This considerable interest in gardening has led to the demand for accurate information about horticultural topics, trends, and research. One credible source for this information is the Extension Master Gardener (MG) Program, of which volunteering is a foundational component. Descriptive characteristics of Purdue Master Gardener (PMG) and PMG interns, characteristics of program participation, and volunteer behaviors were measured through an online survey questionnaire. Demographics, attitudes, self-efficacy, participation in the PMG program, and prior volunteering experience were measured and relationships between predictive variables and total volunteer hours were explored. Overall, the data revealed participants (N = 673) had strong positive attitudes about volunteering. Participants also reported having increased self-efficacy through participation in the MG program, and attitudes and self-efficacy were highly correlated. Based on the results and theoretical framework, a model was developed that can be used to predict volunteering behaviors within MG programs. The predictive model for volunteering behavior revealed that the number of years as an MG and the participant's level of self-efficacy were good predictors of the total number of volunteer hours.


In this article, we analyse factors that explain the success of the empirical methodology of 'positive accounting theory' (PA) in accounting research. In fewer than ten years, between 1960 and 1967–1968, PA became dominant in the main accounting journals, and normative theories disappeared from academic publishing. The reasons for this success are not clearly established. The propagators of PA (Ball and Brown, 1968; Watts and Zimmerman, 1986) advocate the fertility of their approach, while others (e.g. Mattessich, 1995; Mouck, 1988; Whittington, 1987; Williams, 1989) denounce their ostracism and systematic denigration of rival approaches. Both proponents and opponents of PA consider the emergence of positive theories as a radical severance; however, we suggest that the move from normative to positive theories occurred gradually. Even if they took advantage of the reform that took place in US business schools during the 1950s, the proponents of PA also benefited from a decoupling between the academic world and accounting practice initiated by their predecessors.


Background and purpose: Aging is associated with changes in body composition which could lead to malnutrition and disability in elderly people. Physical activity is one of the most important factors that can affect changes in body composition in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate body composition in elderly and its relationship with pattern of objectively measured physical activity. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 368 elderly in Tehran, 2014. Body composition was measured by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, and the ActiGraph was used to assess physical activity patterns. Results: Among the participants 41% were overweight and 19.3% were obese. Abdominal obesity (associated with waist circumference) was seen in 62.22%. The prevalence of obesity and abdominal obesity were higher in women (P<0.001). Fat mass index was high in 59.4% (FMI for men: 5.2-8.2, for women: 8.2-11.7), and very high in 18.8% (FMI for men: ≥ 8.3, for women: ≥11.8). Body fat percentage had direct significant correlation with age (P<0.001), while BMI and waist circumference were found to have significant inverse association with age (P<0.001). The level of physical activity had a significant negative correlation with the percentage of body fat (P<0.001), body fat mass index (P=0.004) and BMI (P=0.03). Conclusion: Body fat percentage and prevalence of overweight and obesity was high in elderly. The significant association between physical activity and BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage calls for more attention to adequate levels of physical activity in elderly.


This comparative analysis probes why conservative renderings of religious tradition in the United States, India, and Egypt remain so influential in the politics of these three ostensibly secular societies. The United States, Egypt, and India were quintessential models of secular modernity in the 1950s and 1960s. By the 1980s and 1990s, conservative Islamists challenged the Egyptian government, India witnessed a surge in Hindu nationalism, and the Christian right in the United States rose to dominate the Republican Party and large swaths of the public discourse. Using a nuanced theoretical framework that emphasizes the interaction of religion and politics, Scott W. Hibbard argues that three interrelated issues led to this state of affairs. First, as an essential part of the construction of collective identities, religion serves as a basis for social solidarity and political mobilization. Second, in providing a moral framework, religion's traditional elements make it relevant to modern political life. Third, and most significant, in manipulating religion for political gain, political elites undermined the secular consensus of the modern state that had been in place since the end of World War II. Together, these factors sparked a new era of right-wing religious populism in the three nations. Although much has been written about the resurgence of religious politics, scholars have paid less attention to the role of state actors in promoting new visions of religion and society. Religious Politics and Secular States fills this gap by situating this trend within long-standing debates over the proper role of religion in public life.


[1] A shortwave radiative closure analysis for cloudy skies is presented for the Cabauw Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) site (51.97°N, 4.93°E). The cloudy cases are carefully selected to be overcast, single-layer, homogeneous, nonprecipitating water clouds. We selected in total 639 cases on 9 days between May 2008 and May 2009 and on 30 January 2007. The Doubling-Adding KNMI (DAK) code is used to simulate global irradiances. The cloud optical thickness is derived from the cloud liquid water path from microwave radiometer (MWR) measurements and the MODIS L2 cloud effective radius product. The scattering phase matrix of the cloud particles is calculated using a Mie code with the two-parameter Gamma size distribution. The MWR integrated water vapor column and an aerosol climatology are also used in the simulations. The cloudy cases cover a large range of liquid water path (30–400 g/m2), water vapor column (0.7–3.1 cm), and solar zenith angle (41°–75°). The mean difference between simulated global irradiances and BSRN measurements is 6 W/m2 (5%), with a standard deviation of 14 W/m2 (13%). This difference is within the uncertainties of the model input parameters and measurement errors. The correlation coefficient between the measured and simulated global irradiances is 0.95. The good closure results demonstrate the high quality of the MODIS effective radius data and MWR liquid water path data and the accuracy of the DAK model for the selected water cloud cases. Furthermore, the effects of clouds, aerosols, water vapor, and surface albedo on the global irradiance have been analyzed carefully. The sensitivity study shows that in order to achieve the closure with an uncertainty of a few W/m2, more frequent effective radius data, simultaneous aerosol and cloud measurements, and surface albedo measurements are essential.


Hydrogen in metals can cause a degradation of the mechanical properties with possible subsequent hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC). Though, the mechanism of HAC is not completely understood yet and thus suitable methods for in situ investigations to characterise the crack formation are needed. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is a well-known tool for analysing these properties. However, the effective resolution of the detector system limits the detection of small defects by CT. Analyser based imaging (ABI) takes advantage of x-ray refraction at interfaces between volumes of different density, i.e. of cracks, pores, inclusions, etc., within the sample to detect defects smaller than the resolution of the detector system. In this study, measurements on an aluminium alloy weld showed that ABI allows us to resolve the 3D structure of cracks undetected by absorption based CT. Prospective investigations will analyse HAC in steels.


We theoretically investigate the optomechanical induced transparency (OMIT) phenomenon in a two-cavity system which is composed of two optomechanical cavities. Both of the cavities consist of a fixed mirror and a high-Q mechanical resonator, and they couple to each other via a common waveguide. We show that in the presence of a strong pump field applied to one cavity and a weak probe field applied to the other, a triple-OMIT can be observed in the output field at the probe frequency. The two mechanical resonators in the two cavities are identical, but they lead to different quantum interference pathways. The transparency windows are induced by the coupling of the two cavities and the optical pressure radiated to the mechanical resonators, which can be controlled via the power of the pump field and the coupling strength of the two cavities.


Philostratus is one of the greatest examples of the vitality and inventiveness of the Greek culture of his period, at once a one-man summation of contemporary tastes and interests and a strikingly individual re-inventor of the traditions in which he was steeped. This Roman-era engagement with the already classical past set important precedents for later understandings of classical art, literature and culture. This volume examines the ways in which the labyrinthine Corpus Philostrateum represents and interrogates the nature of interpretation and the interpreting subject. Taking 'interpretation' broadly as the production of meaning from objects that are considered to bear some less than obvious significance, it examines the very different interpreter figures presented: Apollonius of Tyana as interpreter of omens, dreams and art-works; an unnamed Vinetender and the dead Protesilaus as interpreters of heroes; and the sophist who emotively describes a gallery full of paintings, depicting in the process both the techniques of educated viewing and the various errors and illusions into which a viewer can fall.


For a binary quadratic form $Q$, we consider the action of $\mathrm{SO}_Q$ on a two-dimensional vector space. This representation yields perhaps the simplest nontrivial example of a prehomogeneous vector space that is not irreducible, and of a coregular space whose underlying group is not semisimple. We show that the nondegenerate integer orbits of this representation are in natural bijection with orders in cubic fields having a fixed "lattice shape". Moreover, this correspondence is discriminant-preserving: the value of the invariant polynomial of an element in this representation agrees with the discriminant of the corresponding cubic order.
We use this interpretation of the integral orbits to solve three classical-style counting problems related to cubic orders and fields. First, we give an asymptotic formula for the number of cubic orders having bounded discriminant and nontrivial automorphism group. More generally, we give an asymptotic formula for the number of cubic orders that have bounded discriminant and any given lattice shape (i.e., reduced trace form, up to scaling). Via a sieve, we also count cubic fields of bounded discriminant whose rings of integers have a given lattice shape. We find, in particular, that among cubic orders (resp. fields) having lattice shape of given discriminant $D$, the shape is equidistributed in the class group $\mathrm{Cl}_D$ of binary quadratic forms of discriminant $D$. As a by-product, we also obtain an asymptotic formula for the number of cubic fields of bounded discriminant having any given quadratic resolvent field.


The objective of this study was to find out whether the zebrafish can be an appropriate model for studying DNA repair and cancer. For this purpose three fish lines were used that lack components of an important mechanism for the repair of small DNA damage: DNA mismatch repair. These fish are therefore hereditary predisposed to develop cancer. Several mismatch repair enzymes also have a function in meiosis, the reduction cell division that is necessary for the formation of germ cells. Male zebrafish with mutations in the mismatch repair gene mlh1 were found to be sterile and to display an arrest in spermatogenesis at metaphase I. In contrast, female mutants are fully fertile, but their progeny shows high rates of dysmorphology and mortality within the first days of development, which was found to be caused by aneuploidy resulting from meiosis I chromosomal missegregation. Surprisingly, the small percentage of progeny that develops normally has a complete triploid genome, consisting of both sets of maternal and one set of paternal chromosomes. The three different fish families with defects in the mismatch repair genes mlh1, msh2 and msh6 were indeed found to be more sensitive to the development of cancer. They develop a range of tumour types at low frequencies. Predominantly neurofibromas were observed, indicating that zebrafish mimic distinct features of the human disease resulting from lack of mismatch repair, and are complementary to mouse models. The advantage of experimental accessibility of zebrafish was used in combination with an in vivo assay for mutation detection to study the in vivo effect of alkylation damage on lethality and mutation frequency in developing embryos. Consistent with the damage-sensing role of the MMR system, mutant embryos lacking the MMR enzyme MSH6 displayed lower lethality than wild types after exposure to ENU and MNU. In line with this, alkylation-induced somatic mutation frequencies were found to be much higher in wild type embryos than in the msh6 loss-of-function mutants. These mutations were found to be chromosomal aberrations, likely caused by chromosomal breaks that in turn result from stalled replication forks. Additionally, we found that mismatch repair deficiency does not improve ENU mutagenesis in the zebrafish germ line. Altogether, this indicates that the action of the mismatch repair system in zebrafish with regard to the formation of germ cells, the growth of tumours and the response to chemotherapeutic agents is similar to that in human and mouse. This means that the zebrafish can be considered a useful model. However, within all these areas there are clear differences, which are equally important as they enable us to study new aspects of cancer - research that is not possible in mouse and human.


Socio-political issues are important in environmental policy outcomes but are often overlooked in conservation planning. We analyze the effects of historical social, political, and ecological contexts on conservation policy outcomes as applied to the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve. A rushed implementation, perhaps necessary for the protection of endangered totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi) and vaquita (Phocoena sinus), occurred with little community consultation, resulting in enduring disgruntlement among stakeholders that undermined its effectiveness. Overfishing and habitat degradation continue both inside and outside the reserve, and totoaba and vaquita remain Critically Endangered, with the latter's population estimated at approximately 90 individuals. Marine reserves can be useful, but when top-down enforcement is unfeasible, effective environmental policy requires full recognition and integration of political history and social structures and needs, and open discussion on trade-offs when win-win situations are not possible.


The doctoral thesis presents the design of several high-pressure processes involving »green solvents« so-called supercritical fluids for the eco-friendly and sustainable production of new products with special characteristics, fewer toxic residues, and low energy consumption. The thesis is divided into three main parts: polymer processing and formulation of active drugs, measurements of transport properties form pendant drop geometry, and study of heat transfer under supercritical conditions.
In the first part, special attention is given to using biodegradable polymers in particle size reduction processes that are related to pharmaceutical applications for controlled drug release. The PGSSTM micronization process was applied to the biodegradable carrier materials polyoxyethylene stearyl ether (Brij 100 and Brij 50) and polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000) for the incorporation of the insoluble drugs nimodipine, fenofibrate, o-vanillin, and esomeprazole with the purpose of improving their bioavailability and dissolution rate. In order to optimize and design micronization process, preliminary transfer and thermodynamic experiments of water-soluble carriers (Brij and PEG)/ SCFs system were carried out. It was observed that a combination of process parameters, including particle size reduction and interactions between drugs and hydrophilic carriers, contributed to enhancing the dissolution rates of precipitated solid particles.
In the second part, a new optimized experimental setup based on pendant drop tensiometry was developed and a mathematical model designed to fit the experimental data was used to determine the diffusion coefficients of binary systems at elevated pressures and temperatures. Droplet geometry was examined by using a precise computer algorithm that fits the Young–Laplace equation to the axisymmetric shape of a drop. The experimental procedure was validated by a comparison of the experimental data for the water-CO2 mixture with data from the literature. For the first time, interfacial tension of CO2 saturated solution with propylene glycol and diffusion coefficients of propylene glycol in supercritical CO2 at temperatures of 120°C and 150°C in a pressure range from 5 MPa, up to 17.5 MPa were measured.
Additionally, the drop tensiometry method was applied for measuring systems that are of great importance in carbon sequestration related applications. The effect of argon as a co-contaminant in a CO2 stream on the interfacial tension, diffusion coefficients, and storage capacity was studied.
In the third part, comprehensive investigation into the heat transfer performance of CO2, ethane and their azeotropic mixture at high pressures and temperatures was studied. A double pipe heat exchanger was developed and set up to study the effects of different operating parameters on heat transfer performance over a wide range of temperatures (25 °C to 90 °C) and pressures (5 MPa to 30 MPa). Heat flux of supercritical fluids was measured in the inner pipe in the counter-current with water in the outer pipe. For the first time, the heat transfer coefficients (HTC) of supercritical CO2, ethane and their azeotropic mixture in water loop have been measured and compared. A brief evaluation is provided of the effect of mass flux, heat flux, pressure, temperature and buoyancy force on heat transfer coefficients. Additionally, to properly evaluate the potential and the performance of azeotropic mixture CO2-ethane, the coefficients of performance (COP) were calculated for the heat pump working cycle and compared to a system containing exclusively CO2.


Background: Differences in ability to metabolize daidzein to equol might help explain inconsistent findings about isoflavones and breast cancer. We examined equol-producing status in relation to breast density, a marker of breast cancer risk, and evaluated whether an association of isoflavone intake with breast density differs by equol-producing status in a sample of Chinese immigrant women. Methods: Participants were 224 women, ages 36 to 58 years, enrolled in a study on diet and breast density. All women completed dietary recall interviews, underwent a soy challenge to assess equol-producing status, and received a mammogram assessed for breast density using a computer-assisted method. Results: In our sample, 30% were classified as equol producers. In adjusted linear regression models, equol producers had significantly lower mean dense tissue area (32.8 vs. 37.7 cm2, P = 0.03) and lower mean percent breast density (32% vs. 35%, P = 0.03) than nonproducers. Significant inverse associations of isoflavone intake with dense area and percent density were apparent, but only in equol producers (interaction P = 0.05 for both). Conclusions: These results support the possibility that equol-producing status affects breast density and that effects of isoflavones on breast density depend on ability to metabolize daidzein to equol. Impact: Although these findings warrant confirmation in a larger sample, they offer a possible explanation for the inconsistent findings about soy intake and breast density and possibly breast cancer risk as well. The findings further suggest the importance of identifying factors that influence equol-producing status and exploring appropriate targeting of interventions. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 22(11); 1975–83. ©2013 AACR.


The history of literary phenomena is intertwined with the history of multilingualism. And yet, the study of literature is usually done within the paradigm of the national literature as developed in the 19th century which, from the premise of the existence of a single national language, rarely deals with the production in other languages. This article examines the shortcomings of the imposition of the linguistic criterion applied to the Galician context paying attention to an unexplored area of intersection between national literatures, namely the literary translation of Luis Pimentel's poetry. It concludes by proposing a new understanding of Galician literary studies beyond the linguistic criterion that offers a more nuanced account of the literary field.


In coordination games and speculative over-the-counter financial markets, solutions depend on higher-order average expectations: agents' expectations about what counterparties, on average, expect their counterparties to think, etc. We offer a unified analysis of these objects and their limits, for general information structures, priors, and networks of counterparty relationships. Our key device is an interaction structure combining the network and agents' beliefs, which we analyze using Markov methods. This device allows us to nest classical beauty contests and network games within one model and unify their results. Two applications illustrate the techniques: The first characterizes when slight optimism about counterparties' average expectations leads to contagion of optimism and extreme asset prices. The second describes the tyranny of the least-informed: agents coordinating on the prior expectations of the one with the worst private information, despite all having nearly common certainty, based on precise private signals, of the ex post optimal action.


INTRODUCTION
Pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) has a high burden of morbimortality in children. Use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) is an effective preventive measure. After PCV 7-valent (PCV7) withdrawal, PCV 10-valent (PCV10) and PCV 13-valent (PCV13) are the alternatives in Peru. This study aimed to evaluate cost effectiveness of these vaccines in preventing PP in Peruvian children <5 years-old.

METHODOLOGY
A cost-effectiveness analysis was developed in three phases: a systematic evidence search for calculating effectiveness; a cost analysis for vaccine strategies and outcome management; and an economic model based on decision tree analysis, including deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analysis using acceptability curves, tornado diagram, and Monte Carlo simulation. A hypothetic 100 vaccinated children/vaccine cohort was built. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated.

RESULTS
The isolation probability for all serotypes in each vaccine was estimated: 38% for PCV7, 41% PCV10, and 17% PCV13. Avoided hospitalization was found to be the best effectiveness model measure. Estimated costs for PCV7, PCV10, and PCV13 cohorts were USD13,761, 11,895, and 12,499, respectively. Costs per avoided hospitalization were USD718 for PCV7, USD333 for PCV10, and USD 162 for PCV13. At ICER, PCV7 was dominated by the other PCVs. Eliminating PCV7, PCV13 was more cost effective than PCV10 (confirmed in sensitivity analysis).

CONCLUSIONS
PCV10 and PCV13 are more cost effective than PCV7 in prevention of pneumonia in children <5 years-old in Peru. PCV13 prevents more hospitalizations and is more cost-effective than PCV10. These results should be considered when making decisions about the Peruvian National Inmunizations Schedule.


Once lauded as the wave of the African future, Zambia's economic boom in the 1960s and early 1970s was fueled by the export of copper and other primary materials. Since the mid-1970s, however, the urban economy has rapidly deteriorated, leaving workers scrambling to get by. "Expectations of Modernity" explores the social and cultural responses to this prolonged period of sharp economic decline. Focusing on the experiences of mineworkers in the Copperbelt region, James Ferguson traces the failure of standard narratives of urbanization and social change to make sense of the Copperbelt's recent history. He instead develops alternative analytic tools appropriate for an 'ethnography of decline'. Ferguson shows how the Zambian copper workers understand their own experience of social, cultural, and economic 'advance' and 'decline'. Ferguson's ethnographic study transports us into their lives - the dynamics of their relations with family and friends, as well as copper companies and government agencies. Theoretically sophisticated and vividly written, "Expectations of Modernity" will appeal not only to those interested in Africa today, but to anyone contemplating the illusory successes of today's globalizing economy.


Preface vii Chapter I. "Globalization": Circumnavigating a Term 1 A Diagnosis of the Present and a Term for a Historical Process 1 The Core Concept and the Controversies 5 Chapter II. The Dimensions of Globalization 13 World System--Imperialism--Global History 14 Networks and Interaction Spheres 21 Historical Periods 27 Chapter III. The Development and Establishment of Worldwide Connections Until 1750 31 Long-distance Trade, Empires, Ecumenes 31 Gunpowder Empires and Maritime Domains 42 Holes in the Net 49 Chapter IV. 1750-1880: Imperialism, Industrialization, and Free Trade 57 Early World Politics and Atlantic Revolutions 57 The Far-reaching Impact of the Industrial Revolution 62 Empires and Nation-States 69 The Emergence of a World Economy 76 Chapter V. 1880-1945: Global Capitalism and Global Crises 81 The Experience of Globality, Global Economy, and World Politics at the Turn of the Century 81 Imperialism and World War 90 1918-1945: Global Crises and Conflicts 99 The "American Century" 107 Chapter VI. 1945 to the Mid-1970s: Globalization Split in Two 113 Political Spaces: Power Blocs, Nation-States, and Transnational Movements 113 The Institutions of the Global Economy 121 Sociocultural Globalization? 130 Chapter VII. Conclusion 141 A New Millennium 141 On the Road to a Global Age? 145 Globalization: Putting the Concept into Perspective 150 Notes 153 Recommended Literature 171 Index 181


Self driving cars becoming more popular nowadays, which transport with it's own intelligence and take appropriate actions at adequate time. Safety is the key factor in driving environment. A simple fail of action can cause many fatalities. Computer Vision has major part in achieving this, it help the autonomous vehicle to perceive the surroundings. Detection is a very popular technique in helping to capture the surrounding for an autonomous car. At the same time tracking also has important role in this by providing dynamic of detected objects. Autonomous cars combine a variety of sensors such as RADAR, LiDAR, sonar, GPS, odometry and inertial measurement units to perceive their surroundings. Driver-assistive technologies like Adaptive Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning system (FCW) and Collision Mitigation by Breaking (CMbB) ensure safety while driving.Perceiving the information from environment include setting up sensors on the car. These sensors will collect the data it sees and this will be further processed for taking actions. The sensor system can be a single sensor or multiple sensor. Different sensors have different strengths and weaknesses which makes the combination of them important for technologies like Autonomous Driving. Each sensor will have a limit of accuracy on it's readings, so multi sensor system can help to overcome this defects. This thesis is an attempt to develop a multi sensor multi object tracking method to perceive the surrounding of the ego vehicle. When the Object detection gives information about the presence of objects in a frame, Object Tracking goes beyond simple observation to more useful action of monitoring objects. The experimental results conducted on KITTI dataset indicate that our proposed state estimation system for Multi Object Tracking works well in various challenging environments.


The parallel developments of genetically-encoded calcium indicators and fast fluorescence imaging techniques makes it possible to simultaneously record neural activity of extended neuronal populations in vivo, opening a new arena for systems neuroscience. To fully harness the potential of functional imaging, one needs to infer the sequence of action potentials from fluorescence time traces. Here we build on recently proposed computational approaches to develop a blind sparse deconvolution algorithm (BSD), which we motivate by a theoretical analysis. We demonstrate that this method outperforms existing sparse deconvolution algorithms in terms of robustness, speed and/or accuracy on both synthetic and real fluorescence data. Furthermore, we provide solutions for the practical problems of thresholding and determination of the rise and decay time constants. We provide theoretical bounds on the performance of the algorithm in terms of precision-recall and temporal accuracy. Finally, we extend the computational framework to support temporal superresolution whose performance is established on real data.


At two rich fossil localities in Ponganui (eastern Port Waikato), zeolite-facies, mid Jurassic metasandstones and metasiltstones of Murihiku Supergroup contain high-spired gastropods whose tests have been pseudomorphed by laumontite. Upper whorls of the spires are infilled by heulandite-clinoptilolite and laumontite, accompanied by minor potash-feldspar, quartz and pyrite. Body whorls are infilled by zeolitised rock matrix. Laumontite has low alkali and is closer to the ideal formula than other laumontites reported from metamorphic rocks of New Zealand. Dehydration of laumontite to leonhardite is indicated by x-ray diffraction: a = 14.75, b = 13.13, e = 7.57 A, B = 111.840 • Thermal analysis of heulandite-clinoptilolite gives ambiguous results consistent with the transitional composition these crystals possess within this mineral series. The crystal chemistry and associations of both zeolites is in accord with genetic models proposed by Boles and Coombs for similar Murihiku metasedimentary zeolites.


In Victory of Law, Deak Nabers examines developing ideas about the nature of law as reflected in literary and political writing before, during, and after the American Civil War. Nabers traces the evolution of antislavery thought from its pre-war opposition to the constitutional order of the young nation to its ultimate elevation of the U.S. Constitution as an expression of the ideal of justice-an ideal embodied in the Fourteenth Amendment. Nabers shows how the intellectual history of the Fourteenth Amendment was rooted in literary sources-including Herman Melville's Battle-Pieces, Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, and William Wells Brown's Clotel-as well as in legal texts such as Somerset v. Stewart, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and Charles Sumner's "Freedom National" address. Not only were prominent writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Frederick Douglass instrumental in remapping the relations between law and freedom, but figures like Sumner and John Bingham helped develop a systematic antislavery reading of the Constitution which established literary texts as sources for legal authority. This interdisciplinary study sheds light on the transformative significance of emerging legalist and constitutionalist forms of antislavery thinking on the literature of the 1850s and 1860s and the growing centrality of aesthetic considerations to antebellum American legal theory and practice-the historical terms in which a distinctively American cultural identity was conceived.


SSL and TLS renegotiation are vulnerable to an attack in which the
attacker forms a TLS connection with the target server, injects
content of his choice, and then splices in a new TLS connection from a
client. The server treats the client's initial TLS handshake as a
renegotiation and thus believes that the initial data transmitted by
the attacker is from the same entity as the subsequent client data.
This draft defines a TLS extension to cryptographically tie
renegotiations to the TLS connections they are being performed over,
thus preventing this attack.


Classical humanism was a living tradition until far into the nineteenth century. In scholarship, classical (Renaissance) humanism is usually strictly distinguished from so-called 'neo-humanism,' which, especially in Germany, reigned supreme at the beginning of the nineteenth century. While most classical humanists focused on the practical imitation of Latin stylistic models, 'neohumanism' is commonly believed to have been mainly inspired by typical modern values, such as authenticity and historicity . 'Neohumanists' attached more value to the Greeks than to the Romans. Moreover, they were not intent on imitating classical writers, but on historically reconstructing the ancient world at large. Bas van Bommel shows in his thesis that this common view is based on highly selective source material. Whereas 'neohumanism' was mainly adhered to at the universities, at the German Gymnasien a much more traditional educational ideal prevailed, which remained remarkably constant between c. 1770 and c. 1860. This ideal involved the prioritisation of the Romans above the Greeks, as well as the belief that imitation of Roman and Greek models brings about man's aesthetic and moral elevation. Typically 'neohumanistic' aspects were almost completely absent in this Gymnasium-based educational ideal. As humanists at the Gymnasien were much more numerous than academic philologists, not 'neohumanism,' but classical humanism should be seen as the dominant educational ideal in the period c.1770 -1860. Van Bommel makes clear that 19th century classical humanism dynamically related to modern society. On the one hand, classical humanists were keen on illustrating the value of classical education by using typically modern concepts, such as 'the public sphere' or 'formal education.' On the other hand, classical humanism succeeded in influencing even its strongest competitors. The German (hohere) Burgerschule, for example, almost completely derived its educational ideology from the classical Gymnasium. 19th century classical humanism, in other words, should not be seen as a dried-out remnant of a dying past, but as the continuation of a living tradition. Recommendations • Bas van Bommel criticises the widespread tendency among historians to write history on the basis of mere innovations. All sound historiography pays as much attention to continuities as to discontinuities. • Bas van Bommel also advocates a reintegration into modern educational debates of a number of humanistic core values – such as the prioritization of alpha- above beta-subjects, anti-utilitarianism, as well as a major focus on aesthetic and moral education. Reintegrating those values could significantly increase the quality of modern pre-university education.


An asymptotic theory is developed for a weakly identified cointegrating regression model in which the regressor is a nonlinear transformation of an integrated process. Weak identification arises from the presence of a loading coefficient for the nonlinear function that may be close to zero. In that case, standard nonlinear cointegrating limit theory does not provide good approximations to the finite-sample distributions of nonlinear least squares estimators, resulting in potentially misleading inference. A new local limit theory is developed that approximates the finite-sample distributions of the estimators uniformly well irrespective of the strength of the identification. An important technical component of this theory involves new results showing the uniform weak convergence of sample covariances involving nonlinear functions to mixed normal and stochastic integral limits. Based on these asymptotics, we construct confidence intervals for the loading coefficient and the nonlinear transformation parameter and show that these confidence intervals have correct asymptotic size. As in other cases of nonlinear estimation with integrated processes and unlike stationary process asymptotics, the properties of the nonlinear transformations affect the asymptotics and, in particular, give rise to parameter dependent rates of convergence and differences between the limit results for integrable and asymptotically homogeneous functions.


This paper explores the coverage of file–sharing from before the RIAA/Napster trial of 2000, drawing on interviews with journalists from the New York Times, Wired, Salon and the Los Angeles Times and on analysis of their stories and columns of opinion. It argues the file–sharing story saw "establishment" journalists unapologetically move away from long–established norms of journalism — by relying on alternative sources and by frankly including their own points of view, for example. The course of the stories these journalists produced points to the tensions that continue to mount in the new–media news landscape and to the forces that shape stories in the mainstream press. For more than a decade U.S. journalists lingered on the margins of profound questions about the limits of freedom under the rule of the market. Yet, with the emergence of the recording industry into the online music scene, journalists backed off, leaving the questions they raised unanswered and the larger issues behind the questions mostly unaddressed.


The public-private mix in Chile, Colombia, and Mexico was very similar until the early 1980s when Chile undertook health care privatization as part of comprehensive health care reform. Since then, health care privatization policies have diverged in these countries. In this study we characterize health care privatization in Latin America and identify the main factors that promoted and hindered privatization by comparing the experiences of these countries. We argue that policy elites took advantage of specific policy environments and the diffusion of privatization policies to promote health care privatization while political mobilization against privatization, competing policy priorities, weak market and government institutions, and efforts to reach universal health insurance hindered privatization. The privatization approaches of Chile and Colombia were classified as "big-bang," since these countries implemented health care privatization more rapidly and with a wider scope compared with the case of Mexico, which was classified as gradualist, since the privatization path followed by this country adopted a slower pace and became more limited and focalized over time. We conclude that the emphasis on policy-driven privatization diminished in the 1990s and 2000s because of increased public health care financing and a shift in health care reform priorities. Health care privatization in the region, however, continued as a consequence of demand-driven privatization.


The parallel machine scheduling problem (PMSP) is one of the most difficult classes of problem. Due to the complexity of the problem, obtaining optimal solution for the problems with large size is very time consuming and sometimes, computationally infeasible. So, heuristic algorithms that provide near-optimal solutions are more practical and useful. The present study aims to propose a hybrid metaheuristic approach for solving the problem of unrelated parallel machine scheduling, in which, the machine and the job sequence dependent setup times are considered. A Mixed-Integer Programming (MIP) model is formulated for the unrelated PMSP with sequence dependent setup times. The solution approach is robust, fast, and simply structured. The hybridization of Genetic Algorithm (GA) with Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm is the key innovative aspect of the approach. This hybridization is made in order to accelerate the search process to near-optimal solution. After computational and statistical analysis, the two proposed algorithms are used to compare with the proposed hybrid algorithm to highlight its advantages in terms of generality and quality for short and large instances. The results show that the proposed hybrid algorithm has a very good performance as regards the instance size and provides the acceptable results.


Purpose: The development and implementation of Public Internal Financial Control (PIFC) in the management processes plays an important role in providing sound financial management, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness in the public sector entities. Design/Methodology/Approach: In this paper we have analysed the annual reports on the functioning of the PIFC system in the public sector of Kosovo for the 2014 – 2017 period. The analysis has been completed even more, based on the annual reports of National Audit Office, progress reports published by the European Commission, showing the progress achieved under the EU directives as well as the data from the monitoring reports of SIGMA (Support for Improvement in Governance and Management). Findings: The findings show that the implementation of rules and procedures for internal control in budget organizations lags behind the development of the overall framework. Practical Implications: Continuous improvements in the field of Public Internal Financial Control are important steps in the process of European integration, while Kosovo has made considerable efforts to develop the control environment and implement the PIFC principles, particularly by establishing the appropriate legal, and institutional framework to support the PIFC system. Originality/Value: PIFC development is a continuous process and is part of the public administration reform, hence this paper contributes in identifying possible gaps and weaknesses in the system of internal control in Kosovo and provides recommendations for their improvement.


Abstract. Previous published work after the Kobe and Izmit earthquakes (1995 and 1999, respectively) demonstrated some reported meteorological and animal behaviour precursors were valid. Predictions were freshly tested for the Christchurch earthquake (M = 7.1, 4 September 2010). An internet survey with nearly 400 valid replies showed relative numbers of reports in precursor categories the day before the quake, were statistically significantly different from those in the preceding three days (excess meteorological events and animal behaviour). The day before the quake, there was also altered relative precursor class occurrence within 56 km compared with further away. Both these confirmed the earlier published work. Owners were woken up by unique pet behaviour 12 times as often in the hour before the quake compared with other hours immediately before (statistically highly significant). Lost and Found pet reports were double normal the week before, and 4.5 times normal both the day before the quake, and 9 days before. (Results were again statistically significant). Unique animal behaviour before the quake was often repeated before the numerous aftershocks. These pet owners claimed an approximate 80% prediction reliability. However, a preliminary telephone survey suggested that animals showing any precursor response are a minority. Some precursors seem real, but usefulness seemed mostly restricted to 7 cases where owners were in, or near, a place of safety through disruptive pet behaviour, and one in which owners were diverted by a pet from being struck by falling fixtures. For a later 22 February 2011 M = 6.3 quake no reports of escape through warning by pets were recorded, which raises serious questions whether such prediction is practically useful, because lives claimed saved are extremely low compared with fatalities. It is shown the lost-pet statistics dates, correspond to ionospheric anomalies recorded using the GPS satellite system and geomagnetic disturbance data, and claimed as precursory. The latter more objective measurements may be the way of the future, but improved statistical treatment should include observations over longer periods of time without earthquakes.


Given the Bank of Canada's strong interest in the safe and efficient operation of major clearing and settlement systems, the Bank maintains a rigorous research agenda as a means of informing payments system policy and oversight. In this article, Arjani and Engert review recent research undertaken by Bank staff concerning the risk and efficiency of the Large Value Transfer System (LVTS). Based on the findings from this research, the authors conclude that the design of the LVTS strikes an effective balance between risk and efficiency. The article also demonstrates the increased use of simulation analysis as a tool for conducting payments system research. A brief summary of the Bank's oversight strategy for systemically important payments systems is also provided. Goals for future research are noted as well, including modelling of participant behaviour and continued external collaboration with other researchers.


Data-driven tools and techniques have proved their effectiveness in many engineering applications. Machine-learning has gradually become a paradigm to explore innovative designs in turbomachinery. However, industrial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) experts are still reluctant to embed similar approaches in standard practice and very few solutions have been proposed so far. The aim of the work is to prove that standard wall treatments can obtain serious benefits from machine-learning modeling. Turbomachinery flow modeling lives in a constant compromise between accuracy and the computational costs of numerical simulations. One of the key factors of the process is defining a proper wall treatment. Many works point out how insufficient resolutions of boundary layers may lead to incorrect predictions of turbomachinery performances. Wall functions are universally exploited to replicate the physics of boundary layers where grid resolution does not suffice. Widespread wall functions were derived by the observation of a few canonical flows, further expressed as a simple polynomial of Reynolds number and turbulent kinetic energy. Despite their popularity, these functions are frequently applied in flows where the ground assumptions cease to be true, such as rotating passages or swirled flows. In these flows, the mathematical formulations of wall functions do not account for the distortion on the boundary layer due to the combined action of centrifugal and Coriolis forces. Here, we will derive a wall function for rotating passages, through means of machine-learning. The algorithm is directly implemented in the NS equations solver. Cross-validation results show that the machine-learnt wall treatment is able to effectively correct the turbulent kinetic energy field near the solid walls, without impairing the accuracy of the Reynolds-averaged numerical simulations (RANS) turbulence model in any way.


Advanced Logistics Services (ALSs) have emerged as an indispensable element in Global Value Chains (GVCs). By adapting to shipper demand, logistics services providers facilitate the expansion of world trade. Firms focus on cost-cutting measures, including outsourcing of logistics activities. This often means outsourcing some of their logistics activities to so-called Third- and Fourth-Party Logistics (3PL or 4PL) providers. This paper focuses on the role of ALS in connection to GVCs or Global Production Networks (GPNs). The term 'Logistics Value Chain' (LVC) is used to illustrate the complex market structure and division of work that has emerged between various service providers in the market for ALS. Recent development in East Asia, and also in other developing economies, is similar to what happened in western Europe over the past 20 years. Logistics Service Providers (LSPs) can take advantage of these experiences, well-functioning LVCs rely on two components: (1) committed and effective transport and Customs authorities and related policy-making; and (2) competitive logistics services. These two are essential for local producers – typically Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) – to connect to GPNs. The absence of effective logistics markets is a serious obstacle for firms wishing to internationalise, which often leads to sustained poverty.


In the summer of 1999, several hundred undocumented Fujianese migrants arrived on Canada's west coast, precipitating what many in the news media described as an immigration and refugee "crisis". This study employs content and textual methods of news analysis and takes up the question of crisis, arguing that crises such as this are best seen not as the outcome of structural failures of the state but, rather, as socially constructed through narrative. Beginning with the understanding that news media operate as a claims-making forum for the social construction and contestation of reality, this study first sets out to examine the structures of news access that governed the general organization of the coverage, before moving, secondly, to a discussion of the thematic structure of the coverage. News coverage of these events precipitated a process of collective problematization, the result of which was that the migrants were portrayed as an embodiment of danger, a threat to the physical, moral and political security and well-being of the nation. We show how news coverage of these events touched on ideological problems specific to the late modern experience of the Canadian state, thereby resonating with the broader concerns of Canadians about, inter alia , the disintegration of the welfare state, the perceived threat to territorial sovereignty by unwanted outsiders and the fear that governments can no longer protect the security of their populations.


COMPUTER SECURITY IN SMALL BUSINESS: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY* During the past 30 years improved technology has produced ever smaller computers that substantially surpass the processing and data storage capabilities of older machines. At the same time the purchase price for these machines has decreased so that acquisition is now a viable option for most small businesses. The combined effects of improved capabilities and lower cost have resulted in substantial numbers of small businesses employing computers in their business operations.(1) One significant barrier to effective use of computers in small business is inattention to computer security. Evidence that computer security for small businesses is an important issue comes from several sources. First, the significance of computer security has been explored in the literature.(2) For example, Bryant (1984) contends that the security of small systems is one of the most difficult challenges faced by management.(3) Becker believes small systems require the same kind of security as large computer systems,(4) whereas Baker suggests that small systems require even more security.(5) Some justification for this last suggestion is apparent when one compares the size differences between large and small system hardware and data media. The diminutive sizes in the small system environment make system components much more prone to theft. Also, the number of potential intruders into a small system are many times larger than that of a large system due to the widespread knowledge of popular operating systems (e.g., MS-DOS) and applications software (e.g., Lotus 1-2-3). Second, the significance of security in small systems has also been discussed in the end-user computing literature.(6) RESEARCH QUESTIONS Despite evidence pointing to the importance of computer security for the effective use of computers, there are indications that many users are unaware of the need for security measures.(7) In fact, a lack of awareness of computer security was a primary reason that the U.S. Congress passed the "Small Business Computer Security and Education Act of 1984." Two goals of this act were to: (1) improve the management of information technology in small business and, (2) to encourage and educate small business owners about security threats to this technology. Accordingly, the general purpose of this study was to investigate both the awareness and implementation of security measures used in small business. Two research questions were of interest. First, to what extent are small business firms attempting to exert some form of control over potential security exposures? Control in this context means the ability to exercise restraint or direct influence over a given situation; it is an action taken to make an event conform to plan.(8) Controls function to prevent, detect, and correct the causes of a security exposure. For security measures to be effective, all three types of control are required. A restatement of the question is: To what extent are small businesses aware of or implementing measures that prevent, detect, or correct possible security exposures? The second question concerns awareness and implementation of measures to protect the various components of a computer system. The components of a computer system that are usually protected are hardware, software, and data. Since both data and software are stored on the same media, measures designed to protect one are also effective in protecting the other. In addition to specific security measures designed to protect a particular component, some measures effectively protect the entire system. Thus, the second question is: To what extent are small businesses aware of or implementing measures that protect hardware, software, or the entire system? Before proceeding, it should be noted that the definition of computer security used in this paper is derived from Cronin: Security assumes the safe and continuous operation of your computer system performed by trained, authorized personnel. …


ABSTRACT:This article explores how in Samoa, Christians from diverse denominational backgrounds regularly talk about and critique church giving practices ranging from weekly announcements of offerings to tithing. By comparing Pentecostal and mainstream Christian giving practices, Pentecostals discursively created denominational difference through valuation: the comparative process of differentiating between ways of giving. Pentecostals created a socially embedded subject position through giving critiques, demonstrating how denominational comparison is religious practice. By looking at the metapragmatics of giving—that is, how accounts of giving are used in everyday life—discussions of giving become a primary means to navigate the institutional mediation of individualism evident in giving practices. This article thus shows how critiques of giving collapse the distinction between "religious" and "economic" spheres showing that they are often co-constitutive.


The popularity of fairy tales in Victorian England frequently seeped into novels of all kinds. But scholarship on fairy tales in Victorian novels is doubly inadequate: first, today's fairy-tale scholars tend to pigeonhole all Victorian texts as passé, reflections of a misguidedly conservative time that can only interest us now as a foil to later, more "progressive" adaptations; second, too many scholars of the Victorian novel handle fairy tales with offhand or kneejerk responses. This dissertation argues that we ought to investigate the rich intertextual relationship between fairy tales and Victorian novels in a thoroughgoing way. I focus primarily on the incorporation into novels of two related fairy tales popular in the nineteenth century: "Beauty and the Beast" and "Bluebeard." "Beauty and the Beast" is a story about doubles and opposites, about the relationship between the self and the feared other. From the perspective of the heroine, the story ends in the realization that the frightening, animalistic other is not actually very different from the self and can be incorporated into the self through marriage. The tale's dark cousin, "Bluebeard," is about discovering the beastly other inside the new husband and expelling him. Chapter 1 demonstrates the affinity between Great Expectations (1860-1) and "Beauty and the Beast," especially the original literary version by Madame de Villeneuve (1740). Villeneuve's version features several particularly Dickensian elements: confused identities, intricate and surprising family relationships, dream visions, and doubles. Both tale and novel are centrally about learning to shed surface assumptions in favor of a method of perception flexible enough to reveal underlying connections. Chapter 2 first establishes that "Bluebeard" underlies Anne Brontë's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848). Even though Brontë, unlike Dickens, does not explicitly allude to fairy tales in this novel, the heroine's marriage to a suspicious man, discovery of his villainy, and attempt to distance herself from him is exactly the process Bluebeard's wife undergoes. Second, "Bluebeard" links Wildfell Hall to novels from which it otherwise seems quite different: Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). As Doppelgänger tales, these novels house the monstrous villain and the human self in the same person, thus making literal the violation of the borders of self. Chapter 3 explores how "Beauty and the Beast" and "Bluebeard" patterns vie for dominance in Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights (both 1847). In Jane Eyre, they drive both the plot structure and the characterization of Rochester as a combined "Beast figure" and "Bluebeard figure." But whereas Jane follows the trajectory of a fairy-tale protagonist, ultimately forging a new place in a new situation, no character enjoys such stability in Wuthering Heights. The novel portrays not typical "selfhood" but something like the "subjecthood" articulated in the psychoanalytic theory of Jacques Lacan. Whereas Jane Eyre and most fairy tales enact the fantasy of a person's reaching a satisfactory place or role in the world, Wuthering Heights depicts an essentially Lacanian subjecthood marked by instability and alienation. Finally, Chapter 4 reveals the intersection of fey and fateful in Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles (1891). Even though Hardy detested "happily ever after" endings, he frequently borrowed discrete elements from fairy and folk tales. His deployment of fate takes on a new dimension when we note that "fate" and "fairy" come from the same Latin word, fatum. Hardy sets Tess up like a fairy-tale heroine, but whereas every dark fairy-tale plot is confirmed, every happy one is truncated or cruelly distorted. The novels I discuss are high-profile and various, demonstrating that incorporation of fairy-tale material was no fringe strategy. The frequency and variety with which authors deployed fairy tales requires us to keep them firmly in mind when we study Victorian fiction, lest we miss a crucial dimension of the novels' production and reception. URI http://hdl.handle.net/1773/33821 Collections English [336] DSpace software copyright © 2002-2015 DuraSpace Contact Us | Send Feedback Theme by Tradition and Transformation: Fairy Tales in the Victorian Novel ResearchWorks Archive


In the framework of ISO/TC 43/SC 1/WG 56 Working Group, the ISO 17534 series of standards and technical reports is being developed to deal with the quality assured implementation of calculation methods for the outdoor noise propagation. The ISO 17534 series is currently composed of two general documents (ISO 17534-1 and -2) as well as a technical report (TR) dedicated to ISO 9613-2 propagation method (ISO 17534-3). A new TR dealing with CNOSSOS-EU is currently focusing the attention of the WG. In connection with this WG, and in the wake of the publication of NMPB 2008 method (standardized in AFNOR NFS 31-133:2011 French standard), similar works have been carried out in France. On the one hand, a number of additional recommendations were prepared to correct mistakes or clarify ambiguities present in NFS 31-133:2011 document, in order to reduce the risk of mistakes in the implementation of this standard. On the other hand, a set of test-cases has been defined and documented in order to help software developers check the good implementation of this method, taking as a basis ISO 17534-3 format and content. In these test-cases, specificities of NFS 31-133 are checked such as long distance propagation, industrial source description, embankments, retrodiffraction, vehicle body-barrier interaction. The paper proposed to this session aims at presenting this work in close articulation with CNOSSOS-EU implementation.


The strain ageing and recrystallisation behaviour of conventional low carbon A06 steel was compared with those containing varying amounts of chromium (0.26, 0.52 and 0.74 wt.%). The results show that the A06 steel undergoes four stages of strain ageing: (i) the pinning by solute atoms of dislocations generated during pre-strain, (ii) the generation of fresh dislocations from grain boundaries, (iii) the onset of precipitation and, (iv) the inhibition of dislocation generation from grain boundaries due to pinning by carbon segregation. On the other hand, the chromium containing steels only exhibit the f Irst three stages of strain ageing. An approximately twofold reduction in the rate of strain ageing was observed in the 0.74Cr steel as compared to the A06 steel. The above is directly attributed to the reduction of carbon concentration in ferrite due to the enrichment of iron carbides by chromium and to the formation of alloy carbides which slows their dissolution upon coiling. The addition of chromium signif Icantly delays the recrystallisation process and affects the morphology of the recrystallised grains by reSUlting in larger aspect ratios than A06 steel.


The ∼1.08-Ga Pikes Peak composite batholith of central Colorado is a type example of an A-type granitic system. From the 1970s through the 1990s, details of the field relations, mineralogy, major and trace element compositions, and isotopic geochemistry of Pikes Peak rocks were documented, and they reveal the existence of two chemical groups, a potassic and a sodic series. The potassic series (∼64–78 wt % SiO 2 ) includes the Pikes Peak Granite, which is mostly coarse-grained biotite ± hornblende syenogranite and minor monzogranite that dominates the batholith. The potassic series also includes fine- to medium-grained biotite granite found in numerous, small, late-stage plutons throughout the batholith. The sodic series is found in seven plutons comprised of a wide range of rock types (∼44–78 wt % SiO 2 ), including gabbro, diabase, syenite/quartz syenite, and fayalite and sodic amphibole granite. Differences in petrologic and geochemical characteristics between the sodic and potassic series indicate different petrogenetic histories. Major and trace element and strontium and oxygen isotopic data were used by some workers to hypothesize that mantle-derived alkali basalt underwent crystal fractionation and reaction with lower crustal rocks to generate syenitic magmas of the sodic series, which subsequently underwent further fractionation to produce sodic granites. Recent studies involving estimates of oxygen fugacities, along with additional trace element and neodymium isotopic data, also support a basalt fractionation model for the sodic series, but suggest only minor crustal involvement. Gabbros and diabase dikes associated with the sodic series appear to have been derived from mantle sources that previously had been affected by a subduction event, based on neodymium isotopic and trace element data. Some workers propose that the potassic series also formed by fractionation of syenitic and/or basaltic magmas coupled with reaction with intermediate rather than lower crust. Other workers propose a model in which genesis of the potassic series was dominated by partial melting involving tonalitic sources, with fractionation and perhaps magma mixing playing subordinate roles in generating compositional diversity among the potassic granitoids. The Pikes Peak batholith thus formed by emplacement of at least two petrogenetically different granite types, which were emplaced close together in space and time and which exhibit geochemical characteristics typical of A-type granites.


Abstract Maternal depression has been suggested as a risk factor for both poor child growth and development in many low‐ and middle‐income countries, but the validity of many studies is hindered by small sample sizes, varying cut‐offs used in depression diagnostics, and incomplete control of confounding factors. This study examines the association between maternal depressive symptoms (MDSs) and child physical growth and cognitive development in Madhya Pradesh, India, where poverty, malnutrition, and poor mental health coexist. Data were from a baseline household survey (n = 2,934) of a randomized controlled trial assessing an early childhood development programme. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted, adjusting for socio‐economic factors to avoid confounding the association of mental health and child outcomes. MDS (measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Short Depression Scale) was categorized as low, medium, and high in 47%, 42%, and 10% of mothers, respectively. The prevalence of child developmental delay ranged from 16% to 27% for various development domains. Compared with children of mothers with low MDS, those of high MDS mothers had lower height‐for‐age, weight‐for‐age, and weight‐for‐height z‐scores (0.22, 0.21, and 0.15, respectively), a higher rate of stunting and underweight (~1.5 times), and higher rate of developmental delay (partial adjusted odds ratio ranged from 1.3–1.8 for different development domains and fully adjusted odds ratio = 1.4 for fine motor). Our results—that MDS is significantly associated with both child undernutrition and development delay—add to the call for practical interventions to address maternal depression to simultaneously address multiple outcomes for both women and children.


The article presents an overview of content and perspecitves in the U N Convention on the rights of the child. The four main categories of rights; the right to survive, the right to develop, the right to be protected and the right to participate are discussed. The distinction between absolute and relative rights, and between rights in view of the the child as object, and rights in view of the child as subject is elaborated. Different meanings of the concept "child perspective" are discussed and the necessity to use a multi-dimensional approach to the concept is put forward, including the awareness that views on children also can be negatively loaded. The four fundamental articles in the Convention (articles 2, 3, 6 and 12) and the two articles concerned with schooling (articles 28 and 29) are presented and discussed with particular focus on their relevance for life in school.


This Internet Draft aims at providing general guidelines for the
AUTOCONF solution space, through providing a set of evaluation
considerations for IP autoconfiguration mechanisms in MANETs. These
evaluation considerations conform to the AUTOCONF problem statement
draft and the MANET architecture draft. The main objective of this
draft is to illustrate some key features and highlight some important
behaviours for the different autoconf mechanisms, and thus aiming to
help solution developers during mechanisms' design and to help
implementers in the choice of the autoconf mechanism that fits better
their particular requirements, taking into consideration a number of
important factors that are discussed in this draft.


We have observed the very low-mass Class 0 protostar IRAS 15398−3359 at scales ranging from 50 to 1800 au, as part of the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array Large Program FAUST. We uncover a linear feature, visible in H2CO, SO, and C18O line emission, which extends from the source in a direction almost perpendicular to the known active outflow. Molecular line emission from H2CO, SO, SiO, and CH3OH further reveals an arc-like structure connected to the outer end of the linear feature and separated from the protostar, IRAS 15398−3359, by 1200 au. The arc-like structure is blueshifted with respect to the systemic velocity. A velocity gradient of 1.2 km s−1 over 1200 au along the linear feature seen in the H2CO emission connects the protostar and the arc-like structure kinematically. SO, SiO, and CH3OH are known to trace shocks, and we interpret the arc-like structure as a relic shock region produced by an outflow previously launched by IRAS 15398−3359. The velocity gradient along the linear structure can be explained as relic outflow motion. The origins of the newly observed arc-like structure and extended linear feature are discussed in relation to turbulent motions within the protostellar core and episodic accretion events during the earliest stage of protostellar evolution.


Public space is being increasingly managed by defensive architecture, surveillance and other subtle filtering mechanisms to make it more palatable and attendant to the needs of capital. This reinforces social boundaries, making space inhospitable to those people whose presence is not welcome, and serves to 'discipline' city inhabitants into primarily consumption based modes of interacting with and in the city. However, disenfranchised urban populations still find ways to exist in and navigate these spaces. The purpose of this article is to highlight these ways by introducing the concept of 'desire lines' as a means of overcoming or re-imagining defensive space. We use Deleuze and Guattari's theory of desire as productive force, combined with De Certeau's notion of 'walking the city', to explore how individuals and social movements might practically, and in a metaphorical sense, create new collective paths, creating 'desire lines' of resistance and change within what is often an increasingly unforgiving and dominated urban environment, created by and for capital at the expense of a vibrant public realm.


Today's learners are the owners of multifunctional phones and other lightweight portable devices that many of them carry around wherever they go. Equipped with connected digital devices that make learning readily accessible 'anytime, anywhere', learners appear to be moving to a position of power with regard to their ability to influence how and where learning happens and even its content and form. The technologies are precipitating a shift from teacher-centred towards learner-centred education. However, the majority of teachers and learners are unprepared. There is anticipation of exciting opportunities, but also fear of what might happen. It is also becoming obvious that established methods of researching technology-enhanced learning do not transfer readily to mobile learning research. Projects report that learners behave in unexpected ways; context of use, mode of use, and learning process have all been described as 'unpredictable'. Our aim is to examine the implications of new manifestations of mobile learning for both teaching and research. Drawing on teaching experiences and research projects at The Open University and elsewhere, the paper identifies and illustrates the 'surprise' elements of mobile learning. The image of a 'Jack-in-the-box' toy is used here to symbolise both the playful and potentially unsettling aspects of mobile learning. Anticipating surprises means expecting and welcoming them, being happy when they occur, and being able to accommodate them in our plans.


Fatigue damage is a localized phenomenon controlled by the near-tip crack behavior. This paper presents an application of a dislocation distribution technique to the simulation of crack tip behavior under fatigue loading. A centre-cracked tension specimen under uni-axial fatigue loading is used in the study. Crack opening and plastic deformation around the crack tip are simulated by distributions of dislocation dipoles in crack plane and four inclined planes ahead of the crack tip. Climb dislocation dipole is used to model the opening and closing of the crack while glide dislocation dipole is used to simulate the backward and forward slip in the inclined planes during loading and unloading of the fatigue cycle. Stress field around the crack tip is obtained by the superposition of the contributions of the applied external load and the distributed dislocation dipoles. Correct boundary conditions of the model are achieved by employing a quadratic programming technique to minimize a properly constructed non-negative object function. It is found that the simulated crack closure variations under the constant amplitude fatigue load agree well with the result of a previously developed modified strip yield model with an appropriate constraint factor.


T Coronae Borealis is a recurrent, symbiotic nova system currently in quiescence between its periodic ≈80 yr cycle of eruptions. Observations during inter-outburst epochs provide an opportunity to study properties of the accretion disk and the M red giant. Here we present new irradiated (blackbody veiling) models, incorporating modern molecular opacities and line lists, of spectra derived from high-resolution (22,000 ≲ R ≲ 120,000) optical echelle observations obtained at two epochs, one prior to and one post the 2015 rebrightening event at similar spectroscopic system phase. We find a lithium abundance in the secondary at both epochs to be comparable. The non-irradiated (classical) model atmospheres yield a lithium abundance, A(Li) = 1.3 ± 0.1. The irradiated model (veiled) atmospheres, which are likely a better representation of the system in which the white dwarf and accretion disk illuminate the red giant, give A(Li) = 2.4 ± 0.1.


The growth of non-intermediation income activities suggests intermediation activities are becoming less important part of banking business strategies and strategically, banks have shifted their sales mix by diversifying in income sources. Banks exist to inter-mediate the transactions between demanders and suppliers of money at a given consideration. Earnings from these transactions form banks traditional income generating activities. This study set out to determine the effect of foreign exchange trading, fees and commissions on loans and advances, government securities and sale and lease of assets owned by the banks on the five most profitable commercial banks financial performance. This research adopted an exploratory design where the population of interest was drawn from the five most profitable commercial banks in Kenya; KCB, Equity Bank, Barclays, Standard Chartered and Cooperative Bank. The study focused on the head offices of these commercial banks and particularly on staff that are directly dealing with the day to day management of the banks as well as senior management (directors and general managers) since they are the ones conversant with the effects of income source diversification into non-interest income sources on financial performance of these commercial banks. Stratified random sampling was used to select the sample, taking a sample of 30% from each stratum. The study used both primary data and secondary data. The questionnaires included structured and unstructured questions and was administered through drop and pick method to respondents who were the top, middle and low level managers in the organizations. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics. The Likert scale was used to analyse the mean score and standard deviation, this helped in determining the extent to which the bank uses various income diversification strategies to influence its performance. The researcher further employed a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index to measures the degree of diversification in a bank's net operating revenue. The researcher further employed regression model to study the relationship between the bank financial performance and income diversification into non interest incomes by banks. The study established that all the banks in the study had diversified into noninterest income. It was also established that fees and commissions, foreign exchange, sale and lease of assets owned by commercial banks and government securities influenced financial performance of .commercial banks in Kenya.


Objective: The objective of this article is threefold: to examine the role of head and neck trauma as a contributing factor to the onset of vertigo disorders; to explore the diagnosis and treatment of trauma-induced injury to the upper cervical spine through the use of protocol developed by the International Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (IUCCA); and to investigate the potential for improving and eliminating vertigo through the correction of trauma-induced upper cervical injury. Data from 60 chronic vertigo patients who recalled prior trauma, presented with upper cervical injuries, and received care according to the above protocol are reviewed. Clinical Features: Each patient was examined and cared for in the author's private practice in an uncontrolled, non-randomized environment over an eight-year period. The 60 patients were diagnosed by their physicians with the following types of chronic vertigo: benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), cervicogenic, disembarkment syndrome, labyrinthitis, Meniere's, and migraine-associated vertigo (MAV). Of the 60 vertigo patients, 56 recalled experiencing at least one head or neck trauma prior to the onset of vertigo including auto accidents (25 patients); sporting accidents, such as skiing, cycling, or horseback riding (sixteen patients); or falls on icy sidewalks or down stairs (six patients). Intervention and Outcome: Two diagnostic tests, paraspinal digital infrared imaging and laser-aligned radiography, were performed according to IUCCA protocol. These tests objectively identify trauma-induced upper cervical subluxations (misalignments of the upper cervical spine from the neural canal) and resulting neuropathophysiology. Upper cervical subluxations were found in all 60 cases. All 60 patients responded to IUCCA upper cervical care within one to six months of treatment. Forty-eight patients were symptom-free following treatment and twelve cases were improved in that the severity and/or frequency of vertigo episodes were reduced. Conclusion: A causal link between trauma-induced upper cervical injury and the onset of vertigo appears to exist. Correcting the injury to the upper cervical spine through the use of IUCCA protocol appears to improve and/or reverse vertigo disorders. Further study in a controlled, experimental environment with a larger sample size is recommended. Key Indexing Terms: upper cervical spine, chiropractic, vertigo, trauma, thermography


Some software defects can be detected only if we consider all possible combinations of three, four, or more inputs. However, empirical data shows that the overwhelming majority of software defects are detected during pairwise testing, when we only test the software on combinations of pairs of different inputs. In this paper, we provide a possible theoretical explanation for the corresponding empirical data.


Douglas Jones was an extremely creative and influential mathematician. His contributions to the theory of electromagnetic and acoustic waves and his development of original and exceptionally powerful mathematical techniques with which to study them has led to the solution of problems of both practical and social importance. His work is fundamental to the design and performance of radar antennae wherein it is necessary to optimize their transmitting and receiving characteristics. Jones also investigated the manner in which electromagnetic waves interact with objects having sharp edges. These studies are basic to the construction of 'stealth' aircraft, in which the geometrical shape is designed to minimize the aircraft's signature. When supersonic airliner capability was realized in the development of Concorde there was considerable public concern regarding the excessive noise created during take-off and landing and the impact of 'sonic boom' on built-up areas. This prompted investigations into the noise levels experienced on the ground due to a moving acoustic source. This inspired Douglas to develop a mathematical theory of noise shielding. To address these difficult problems he developed powerful techniques of analysis: these included the asymptotic expansion of multidimensional integrals and the generalization of the method of stationary phase; the solution of integral equations arising in diffraction and obstacle scattering theory; the development of multidimensional generalized functions; uniform asymptotics and Stokes' phenomenon; the Wiener–Hopf technique; and powerful numerical techniques to solve integral equations arising in electromagnetic wave theory.


Spray rendering provides a framework for creating and experimenting with different visualization techniques. The name spray rendering is derived from the metaphor of using a virtual spray can to paint data sets. Varying the type of paint in the can highlights data in different ways. Spray rendering is not limited to the paint metaphor, however. Other useful metaphors include a flashlight and a probe. Thus, spray rendering refers to the localized nature of the visualization algorithms and the manner in which the algorithms are sent to the data sets. We gain several advantages by looking at visualization algorithms in this way, including extensibility, grid independence, and ability to handle large data sets. This article presents the benefits, conceptual design, issues and directions of spray rendering.<<ETX>>


Why do some elites survive while others do not? How do certain institutions manage to preserve their importance in the face of crises, instability, and change? How does a democratic society legitimize elitist institutions? Combining the use of important social theories--particularly those of Mosca, Schumpeter, Tocqueville, and Pareto--with empirical analysis, Ezra Suleiman tries to answer these questions in his examination of the dominance and stability of France's governing elites.The author draws on original survey data, historical evidence, and specialized documentary sources. His three part discussion deals, first, with the state institutions that nurture the French elite; second, with the organization, legitimization, and adaptation of the elite and its institutions; and third, with some of the policy and political implications of France's elitist system. In the final section of his book, he closely examines the relationship between elites in the public and private sectors. In his investigation of France's "state-created" elites, Professor Suleiman shows the great importance of the "grandes ecoles" in training and promoting the elites, and the "grand corps" in providing a base from which the elites launch themselves into extra-governmental careers. He also finds that the elites' capacity to adapt to an evolving social, political, and economic environment is a major factor in their ability to survive.Originally published in 1979.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These paperback editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905."


Aims: To investigate regional differences and time trends in women's overweight and obesity in Sweden. Methods: Using data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register (women aged ⩾18 years, first pregnancy only) and the Total Population Register accessed through the Umeå SIMSAM Lab, age-standardized prevalence of pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity (BMI ⩾ 25 kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ⩾ 30 kg/m2) were estimated by county for the years 1992, 2000, and 2010. Maps were created using ArcMap v10.2.2 to display regional variations over time and logistic regression analyses were used to assess if the observed trends were significant. Results: The prevalence of pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity and obesity increased significantly in all Swedish counties between 1992, and 2010. In 2010, Södermanland and Gotland exhibited the highest age-standardized overweight/obesity (39.7%) and obesity (15.1%) prevalence, respectively. The sharpest increases between 1992 and 2010 were observed in Västerbotten for overweight/obesity (75% increase) and in Gotland for obesity (233% increase). Across the years, Stockholm had the lowest prevalence of overweight/obesity (26.3% in 2010) and obesity (7.3% in 2010) and one of the least steep increases in prevalence of both between 1992 and 2010. Conclusions: Substantial regional differences in pre-pregnancy overweight and obesity prevalence are apparent in Sweden. Further research should elucidate the mechanisms causing these differences.