The growth of competition in broadcast television, in weekly magazines and, most recently, on the Internet inevitably has impacted newspaper circulation. Changing lifestyles with greater emphases on recreation and other outdoor activities also apparently have caused the decline of newspaper circulations.1 In addition, the difficult readability of newspapers may be another reason for continuously dropping circulations.Journalism scholars have attempted to analyze the readability of mass media such as newspapers and magazines.2 Fusaro and Conover noted that if the readability levels of a newspaper demand too much of a reader's skills, reader satisfaction will be reduced.3 Burgoon, Burgoon and Wilkinson argued that newspapers should lower their readability levels if they want to appeal to more readers.4 Because longer sentences mean more relationships between words and require the reader to expend more mental energy, they might reduce reader satisfaction.5 If newspapers are difficult to read, readers may turn away from them as a source of information.Visuals are often discounted or ignored in word-oriented journalism. However, several scholars pointed out that photographs are popular with readers and call attention to news stories.6 Hynds, for example, concluded that most newspapers were seeking to make their pages more attractive and understandable through greater use of pictures, drawings, cartoons, and diverse colors.7Even though business news is very critical for industry and general readers, few researchers have examined the content of business news. In 1938, Carswell, a financial writer on the New York World-Telegram, criticized newspapers' over-emphasis on Wall Street and argued that the editorial point-of-view must be reoriented to the average reader, not the investor.8 Barkin examined the changes in the business section of three major dailies from 1931 to 1979 and found newspapers covered the stock market less and international business more.9 Feldman and Aronoff also found newspapers moved away from straight news coverage, such as lengthy earnings reports, to stories oriented toward the implications of domestic and international economic policies and problems.10The Internet is the ideal medium for business news. Because of its real time information and its visuals, more people rely on the Internet to check market fluctuations. The purpose of this study is to examine how the most popular newspapers and Internet Web sites in the U.S. covered business news, especially focusing on readability and content differentiation.MethodsThree newspapers (Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and New York Times) were selected based on circulation.11 Three business news Web sites (CNNfn, CNBC, and CBSMarketWatch) were selected based on the number of visits to those sites.12The variables for analysis were average sentence length, Flesch reading ease score, Flesch-Kincaid grade-level readability, the visual type and subject of stories.Average sentence length is the average number of words per sentence. The Flesch reading ease score is calculated using average sentence length and number of syllables per 100 words. The Flesch-Kincaid Index uses the number of syllables per word and words per sentence to calculate a grade level required for reading. Visuals were analyzed based on the type: photos, computer graphics and data format.13 Stories were classified in terms of their specific content area, which in turn belonged to one of nine categories: 1) national economy, 2) international business and trade, 3) legal and regulatory issues, 4) individual firm, 5) industry profiles 6) executive profiles, 7) stock market, 8) consumer guides, 9) others.14The unit of analysis was the article. The front page of The Wall Street Journal and the business section front pages of USA Today and The New York Times were content analyzed. Even though it was difficult to choose the top news stories from a Web site, there were top stories indicated by bold type at the homepages. …


Comprehensive and edited by leading names, this book takes a critical and discursive approach to the various forms and contexts of fundraising.

Fundraising is a maturing profession, but one that is becoming increasingly controversial. Media reports of poor practice have contributed to concerns about the integrity of fundraisers and the uses which have been made of the resources they raise. As a result, a consensus now exists among senior figures in the industry about the changes that are required. Technique is no longer enough. Many more of the next generation of practitioners must be capable of considered reflection, organizational and inter-organizational strategic thinking and value-based leadership.

Exploring new developments taking place in the area of fundraising, the specially commissioned articles, by experts in the field move the thinking in the profession beyond its familiar formulae and assumptions, opening up critical debate about the nature, contribution and limitations of fundraising.

This volume is essential reading for anyone who aspires to work at senior levels in fundraising or is currently engaged in studying this challenging area.


Formative Program Evaluation of a Professional Learning Community in an Urban Elementary School by Cherie Laverne Ameyaw EdS, Nova Southeastern University, 2007 MA, Walden University, 2006 BS, Thomas College, 1996 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University October 2015 Abstract In a professional learning community (PLC), school personnel participate in focused collaboration to improve adult learning and facilitate student achievement. Implementation of a PLC is often haphazard and not evaluated for effectiveness, resulting in poor implementation. This study, a PLC-specific qualitative formative program evaluation, addressed a lack of documented PLC effectiveness at a local urbanIn a professional learning community (PLC), school personnel participate in focused collaboration to improve adult learning and facilitate student achievement. Implementation of a PLC is often haphazard and not evaluated for effectiveness, resulting in poor implementation. This study, a PLC-specific qualitative formative program evaluation, addressed a lack of documented PLC effectiveness at a local urban elementary school in the southern United States. The purpose of this project was to determine how teachers described the functioning of their PLC. The conceptual framework for the study was Hord and Tobia's 6 characteristics of a PLC. The research questions focused on how teachers described their PLC in terms of: supportive and shared leadership; shared beliefs, values, and vision; intentional collective learning; shared practice; physical or structural conditions; and collegial or relational conditions. The qualitative design consisted of semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers. The findings from the typological data analysis revealed that the research school was not functioning as a true PLC, with lack of collegial-relational conditions being a primary concern. Based on the findings, recommendations were made for school personnel to participate in team building exercises, adopt an educational change model to strengthen their PLC, participate in PLC training, and develop a continuous evaluation cycle for their PLC. The recommendations will help the research school more effectively build trust as they improve their PLC. Implications for positive social change include an improved school culture and delivery system of education, which fosters an educational environment more conducive for improved learning for teachers and students. Formative Program Evaluation of a Professional Learning Community in an Urban Elementary School by Cherie Laverne Ameyaw EdS, Nova Southeastern University, 2007 MA, Walden University, 2006 BS, Thomas College, 1996 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of


Corporations have become powerful actors exerting increasing influence on society and the living conditions of individuals worldwide, including indigenous peoples. While it is recognized that corporations have a responsibility to respect indigenous peoples' rights and the important safeguard concept of free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), it is rather unclear what such a corporate responsibility entails from a legal perspective. This doctoral thesis thoroughly analyses the regulatory framework pertaining to indigenous peoples and corporations as well as the 'case law' of the OECD National Contact Points (NCPs). Based on this analysis, the thesis identifies currently applied features of indigenous peoples' rights and FPIC in relation to corporate actors, determines shortcomings in the regulatory framework and the 'jurisprudence' of the NCPs, and makes suggestions for possible improvements.


Concerns for atmospheric pollution from auto exhaust have led to the blending of "oxygenates" with motor fuels. The most common oxygenate, methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) is currently required within several metropolitan areas (Denver and Phoenix) in the range of 12% of the motor fuel. Amendments to the Clean Air Act may expand this requirement to as many as 44 other areas of the United States in the near future. In consideration of the magnitude of potential uncontrolled exposures from its extensive use and a related concern involving the potential influence of MTBE blending on exposures to other constituents of gasoline (particularly benzene), an evaluation of exposures among service station attendants and operators was undertaken at the request, and in cooperation with, the American Petroleum Institute during the latter part of 1990. For application of the survey results to a broad audience, three categories or types of service stations were identified with regard to MTBE use and exposure potential: a) service stations that do not use MTBE or use it only as an octane enhancer, b) service stations with seasonal requirements to use 12-15% MTBE (the Denver, Colorado, and Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan areas), and c) service stations equipped with stage II (active) vapor recovery systems (several coastal areas, most notably Southern California). At the two sampled service stations that use only minimal amounts of MTBE (less than 1%), only 1 of 32 personal breathing zone (PBZ) samples from attendants was above the analytical limit of detection, reported at 0.16 ppm. The geometric mean concentration of benzene among this same population (n = 32) was 0.04 ppm.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


This paper studies the construction of a refinement kernel for a given operator-valued reproducing kernel such that the vector-valued reproducing kernel Hilbert space of the refinement kernel contains that of the given kernel as a subspace. The study is motivated from the need of updating the current operator-valued reproducing kernel in multi-task learning when underfitting or overfitting occurs. Numerical simulations confirm that the established refinement kernel method is able to meet this need. Various characterizations are provided based on feature maps and vector-valued integral representations of operator-valued reproducing kernels. Concrete examples of refining translation invariant and finite Hilbert-Schmidt operator-valued reproducing kernels are provided. Other examples include refinement of Hessian of scalar-valued translation-invariant kernels and transformation kernels. Existence and properties of operator-valued reproducing kernels preserved during the refinement process are also investigated.


Abstract. The stress field at depth is a relevant parameter for the design of subsurface constructions and reservoir management. Yet the distortion of the regional stress field due to local-scale features such as sedimentary and tectonic structures or topography is often poorly constrained. We conduct a stress sensitivity analysis using 3-D numerical geomechanical modelling with an elasto-plastic material law to explore the impact of such site-specific features on the stress field in a sedimentary sequence of the Swiss Alpine foreland. The model's dimensions are 14 × 14 × 3 km3 and it contains 10 units with different mechanical properties, intersected by two regional fault zones. An initial stress state is established involving a semi-empirical relationship between the ratio of horizontal to vertical stress and the overconsolidation ratio of argillaceous sediments. The model results indicate that local topography can affect the stress field significantly to depths greater than the relief contrasts at the surface, especially in conjunction with horizontal tectonic loading. The complexity and frictional properties of faults are also relevant. The greatest variability of the stress field arises across the different sedimentary units. Stress magnitudes and stress anisotropy are much larger in stiffer formations such as massive limestones than in softer argillaceous formations. The stiffer formations essentially carry the load of the far-field forces and are therefore more sensitive to changes of the boundary conditions. This general characteristic of stress distribution in the stiff and soft formations is broadly maintained also with progressive loading towards the plastic limit. The stress field in argillaceous sediments within a stack of formations with strongly contrasting mechanical properties like in the Alpine foreland appears to be relatively insensitive to changes in the tectonic boundary conditions and is largely controlled by the maximum stiffness contrast with respect to the load-bearing formations.


We demonstrate a temperature stabilized CMOS-compatible frequency comb based on an integrated optical micro-ring resonator. The instrument operates in the wavelength interval 1520-1600 nm with a wide free spectral range (FSR) of 200 GHz. By embedding a highly sensitive "resistive thermal device" (RTD) on the surface of the chip to provide temperature feedback to the thermal electric cooler, the bench top unit achieves wavelength stability of ~1 pm over a 24 hour period with good power stability. The new frequency comb is designed to be robust, compact and portable. Our approach reduces the cost and complexity of existing high precision frequency combs currently used in the fields of metrology, remote sensing and stellar spectroscopy where high stability is required for prolonged periods of time.


Objective: To quantify the burden of surgical conditions in Uganda. Background: Data on the burden of disease have long served as a cornerstone to health policymaking, planning, and resource allocation. Population-based data are the gold standard, but no data on surgical burden at a national scale exist; therefore, we adapted the Surgeons OverSeas Assessment of Surgical Need survey and conducted a nation-wide, cross-sectional survey of Uganda to quantify the burden of surgically treatable conditions. Methods: The 2-stage cluster sample included 105 enumeration areas, representing 74 districts and Kampala Capital City Authority. Enumeration occurred from August 20 to September 12, 2014. In each enumeration area, 24 households were randomly selected; the head of the household provided details regarding any household deaths within the previous 12 months. Two household members were randomly selected for a head-to-toe verbal interview to determine existing untreated and treated surgical conditions. Results: In 2315 households, we surveyed 4248 individuals: 461 (10.6%) reported 1 or more conditions requiring at least surgical consultation [95% confidence interval (CI) 8.9%–12.4%]. The most frequent barrier to surgical care was the lack of financial resources for the direct cost of care. Of the 153 household deaths recalled, 53 deaths (34.2%; 95% CI 22.1%–46.3%) were associated with surgically treatable signs/symptoms. Shortage of time was the most frequently cited reason (25.8%) among the 11.6% household deaths that should have, but did not, receive surgical care (95% CI 6.4%–16.8%). Conclusions: Unmet surgical need is prevalent in Uganda. There is an urgent need to expand the surgical care delivery system starting with the district-level hospitals. Routine surgical data collection at both the health facility and household level should be implemented.


This study was designed to investigate the protective role of protein (Pr) and calcium (Ca) on effects of fluoride (F) induced in nonspecific immunological function in New Zealand rabbits fed a Pr and a Ca nutritionally deficient (malnutrition) diet. Eighty healthy 30-day-old rabbits (1.07±0.25 kg) were divided randomly into four equal groups of twenty (female:male = 1:1). The four groups were maintained on distilled water and fed for 120 days: (1) a malnutrition control (MC) diet (8.58% Pr, 0.49% Ca = MC group); (2) the MC diet plus HiF (442 mg NaF (=200 mg F ion]/kg diet = HiF group); (3) a Ca deficient diet plus HiPr+HiF (18.41% Pr, 0.46% Ca, plus HiF diet = HiPr group); and (4) a Pr deficient diet plus HiCa+HiF (8.35% Pr, 2.23% Ca, plus HiF diet = HiCa group). Growth of the rabbits was markedly inhibited by HiF ingestion. Pr supplementation significantly alleviated the HiF-induced decrease in rate of growth. Compared to the MC group, the serum total Pr (TPr) and serum albumin (ALB) content in the HiF group were significantly decreased on average by 12.4% and 7.7%, respectively. Pr or Ca supplementation markedly increased serum TPr and ALB content compared to the HiF group. Compared to the MC group, tissue acid phosphatase (ACPase), serum lysozyme (Lys), and serum ACPase concentrations were significantly increased with HiF ingestion but were significantly alleviated by Pr and Ca supplementation. These findings indicate that HiF ingestion seriously damages nonspecific immune function in rabbits and that Pr and Ca can play protective roles against F-induced damage to immune functions.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper to investigate, explore and assess the role of Micro-insurance in poverty reduction Design/ methodology/approachThis paper is a qualitative analysis based on three case studies. Non-probability sampling techniques are used for choosing the unit of analysis which resulted in 4 firms (4 managers). Also, data were collected via a questionnaire and an in-depth interview. FindingsThe study identified that Micro-insurance provides financial support to the poor in the event of a disaster, social protection against disasters and shocks, savings, employment, and as well as enhances asset accumulation among clients. The study found that the lack of innovative micro-insurance product, inadequate distribution channels, the lack of supportive micro-insurance legal framework, uncompetitive pricing of micro-insurance products, low government support in micro-insurance programs, low-income levels of respondents, the religious or cultural factors influence the demand of insurance products and low public trust are the factors that affect the demand of micro-insurance products. Also, the study found that the development of innovative products, establishing processes that build trust in clients, instituting efficient service delivery channels, documentation should be simplified and the government should support micro-insurance products are the ways to increase patronage of micro-insurance products.Research limitationsthe sample size is still limited and in the future, a quantitative analysis should be used. The study is limited in terms of geographical area. The findings of the study are more likely to hold for another Sub-Saharan context. However, the applicability of these findings to other contexts needs further investigation. Originality/valuewhile interest in micro-insurance is increasing in emerging markets, there is little known and written on micro-insurance. Therefore, the role of micro-insurance has not been explored so far.


This timely and far-reaching book addresses the long-term impact of the recent global economic crisis. New light is shed on the crisis and its historical roots, and resolutions for a more robust, resilient future socio-economic model are prescribed.


Objective: To evaluate the effect of Thyme oleoresin on nitric oxide production and nitric oxide synthase gene expression in RAW264.7 macrophage cell lines. Materials and Methods: The efficacy of Thyme oleoresin at different concentrations (3.175–150μg/ml) was determined on nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 cells macrophages. The optical density was measured at 540 nm with a microplate reader. RT - PCR was used to examine the expression of the iNOS gene in activated macrophages. The Statistical analysis of the data was carried out by Dunnett's following one way ANOVA and Posthoc comparisons in Graph pad Prism 5.0 software version. Results: Thyme oleoresin at its tested concentrations exhibited dose – dependent decrease in the production of NO. The IC 50 value was 24.24 μg/ml. LPS stimulated RAW macrophages strongly up regulated the iNOS gene expression levels. Thyme oleoresin at three different concentration, 12.5μg/ml, 25μg/ml and 50μg/ml, significantly suppressed the iNOS levels compared to that of LPS treatment only. Conclusion: Thyme oleoresin extract may be used for its anti-inflammatory effect as it could significantly suppress the iNOS gene expression as well as the production of NO. Key words: Anti inflammatory, Macrophage cell line, Nitric oxide, Thyme oleoresin.


Curriculum mapping is an important task in implementing, embedding and monitoring the knowledge, skills and attributes that graduates must acquire in their program of study. Curriculum mapping ensures correspondence between learning outcomes, learning activities and assessments. To aid in performing this complex task, many higher education institutions are using unit/study guide tools or curriculum mapping tools. These tools may be known under different names in different institutions but we will refer to these tools as unit guide information systems. To evaluate the utilisation and acceptance of these tools, this research-in-progress paper draws on an extensive body of literature related to technology acceptance that includes social cognitive theory and model of PC utilization to explain the influence of perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Our research extends the technology acceptance model by incorporating the external variables of self-efficacy, anxiety and social influence. The results are expected to indicate which of the external factors are most important in predicting and explaining attitude and intention to use unit guide information systems.


&NA; Ideal bad news delivery requires skilled communication and team support. The literature has primarily focused on patient preferences, impact on care decisions, healthcare roles, and communication styles, without addressing systematic implementation. This article describes how an interdisciplinary team, led by advanced practice nurses, developed and implemented a collaborative practice model to deliver bad news on a unit that had struggled with inconsistencies. Using evidence‐based practices, the authors explored current processes, role perceptions and expectations, and perceived barriers to developing the model, which is now the standard of care and an example of interprofessional team collaboration across the healthcare system. This model for delivering bad news can be easily adapted to meet the needs of other clinical units. AT A GLANCEThe optimal delivery of bad news is an interprofessional and collaborative event.Delivery of bad news can be distressing to patients, families, and staff when not performed effectively.Advanced practice nurses have an opportunity to model positive behaviors that support the effective delivery of bad news.


Through an Uncommon Lens: The Life and Photography of F. Holland Day. By Patricia J. Fanning. Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. 255 pages. $32.00 (hardcover). We are fortunate when writers choose to illuminate corners of history by focusing on figures who, however influential, were better known in their own times than they are today. For instance, most of us are exposed to the poems of Emily Dickinson, who was virtually unknown when she lived. But today few are familiar with Elizabeth Gaskell, author of nineteenth-century "best sellers." Books that lead us into such unknown biographical territory can be refreshing and revelatory. Such a book is Through an Uncommon Lens, Patricia Fanning's biography of publisher and photographer F. Holland Day (1864-1933). Fanning provides a new perspective on a world previously defined by Day's (currently) more famous contemporaries, Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen. Nonetheless, Day arguably belongs in that pantheon: he has been described as producing "the most ambitious artistic photography of the era."1 In exploring Day's life, Fanning also offers a fascinating look at life in Boston, the "Athens of America," as it underwent commercial and societal transitions at the end of the nineteenth century. Thus, Through an Uncommon Lens examines some historic cultural tensions: American artistic vision emerging from its European origins; a photographic artistic vision emerging from painterly and documentary origins; and the divergence between New England and New York artistic milieus. That latter tension is embodied in Day and Stieglitz, who learned from each other, collaborated in a "New School," and ultimately grew apart. The adage that "nice guys finish last" perhaps applies to Day in relation to Stieglitz. All of Fanning's evidence indicates that Day was innovative and talented, passionate and flamboyant, but also unassuming, loyal and kind, a generous friend and mentor. He tutored and provided scholarships to disadvantaged youth; among his many notable proteges were celebrity portraitist Bachrach and poet Kahlil Gibran. In contrast, Stieglitz comes across in this book as equally innovative and talented, but a more selfserving and competitive personality. An aficionado of oysters and Boston baked beans, Fred Holland Day was a true New Englander, the last fruit of a Massachusetts family tree with strong humanitarian and community roots. He was born in South Dedham, Massachusetts, now incorporated as Norwood. He appreciated his regional history, and loved and collected antiques of all kinds. While a lifelong resident of the Bay State, he enjoyed jaunts abroad and retreats to his beloved coastal "chalet" in Maine (where his ashes were scattered after his death). As a boy, he attended Chauncy Hall, a Boston preparatory school. There he was introduced to other expressive and intellectually curious young people who helped shape his ambitions. He went on to co-found an artistic movement (the Visionists), establish and edit two periodicals, and run a Boston publishing house, Copeland and Day, that advocated as much attention to the design and craftsmanship of books as to their content. …


Introduction When a securities broker or dealer "raids" another firm's branch office or trading desk, it improperly hires away a significant number of the raided firm's producers. This act deprives the raided firm of the producers' services and the profits it could reasonably expect to earn during the time period the producers would remain in its employ but for the raid. The raided firm may file a statement of claim with the National Association of Securities Dealers ("NASD") against the raiding firm. When a raiding case proceeds to arbitration, the amount of lost profits is a critical issue considered by the arbitration panel. A lost profits analysis calculates the amount of profits the Claimant (or raided firm) lost that is directly attributable to the raid. This represents the amount of the cash payment the Respondent (or raiding firm) needs to make to restore the Claimant to the same economic position it would occupy but for the raid. Unfortunately, in the securities industry, arbitration panels are not required to, and do not, articulate the reasoning behind a finding of liability or how the damage award was determined. As a result, the damage awards made by securities industry arbitration panels differ widely within the industry-worse, there is an apparent lack of correlation between arbitration damage awards and the actual damages incurred by Claimant firms in any particular case.1 This inconsistency suggests that Claimants are not always properly compensated. And because these cases are decided exclusively in arbitration, rather than litigated in the courts, there is no body of published case law to which arbitrators, advocates, and parties can turn in order to consult benchmark damage awards in similar cases.2 We believe that flawed or biased damage calculations are often responsible for the inconsistent arbitration awards in broker raiding cases.3 The securities industry's arbitration process seems particularly susceptible to "speculative possibilities imaginatively shaped"4 by the wizards of Wall Street. Making matters even worse, securities arbitrators may lack the commercial background or financial training to assess the expert damages analyses and testimony derived from such speculative possibilities, which usually combine the jargon of the Street with the sophisticated application of economic and financial theory to accounting statement data. Consequently, the arbitrators' damage awards may bear no direct relation to the actual damages suffered. The purpose of this article is to bring consistency and rationality to the award of damages in "raiding" cases. We provide a resource for arbitrators, practitioners, and other parties that brings together the legal principles applied during arbitrations, the fact patterns specific to broker raiding cases, and a recommended framework for determining the proper amount of lost profits damages suffered by a Claimant broker or dealer as a result of a competitor firm's raid. The article will thus assist the parties in presenting to an arbitration panel a lost profits damage analysis that is grounded in the fundamental principles of economics and finance, appropriately based on the books and records of the Claimant, and consistent with the teachings of relevant case law. The remainder of this article is organized as follows: Part I discusses a working definition of "raiding." There is not a consistent consensus among the legal community as to what constitutes raiding. This Part discusses the current legal thought on this issue, including areas of general agreement and disagreement as to what constitutes a raid. The definition of a raid has a direct bearing on the evaluation and calculation of damages in a raiding case. In Part II, we present a theoretical framework for calculating damages in a raiding case that is consistent with fundamental principles of economics and finance, yet specific to the legal claims that arise in the context of a raiding claim. …


Marshfield Clinic is a not-for-profit, physician-governed multispecialty group practice serving residents of rural Wisconsin through a regional ambulatory care system, an affiliated health plan, and related foundations supporting health research and education. Marshfield has engaged its physicians and staff in a program of clinical performance improvement aimed at enhancing patient access, coordination of care, and efficiency of clinical operations. An internally developed electronic health record acts as a care planning tool for delivering preventive care and managing chronic diseases. A telemedicine network expands access to care for patients living in rural and remote areas. Marshfield Clinic's experience shows how an organized group of physicians can improve patient outcomes and reduce costs by undertaking a population-based approach to ambulatory care management supported by robust information technology. It also suggests that group-level performance incentives that are aligned with an organization's strategic goals have the potential to enhance population health management.


The economic liberalization of Indian markets in early 90s boosted the economic growth of the nation in various sectors over the next two decades. One such sector that has seen a massive growth in this time is Information Technology (IT). The IT industry has played a very crucial role in transforming India from a slow moving economy to one of the largest exporters of IT services. This growth created a huge demand in the labour markets for skilled labour, which in turn made engineering one of the top choices of study after high school over the years. In addition, the earning potential and an opportunity to contribute to technology advancements after engineering, makes it a popular choice of study. These growth dynamics along with the diversified education and labour markets demands gives insight into the factors affecting the employment outcomes of engineering students. This research study focuses on studying the key salary determinants for entry-level engineering graduates in India Labour Markets .The research examined the impact of demographics, academic performance, personality traits and standardized test scores on the starting salary. The research findings indicated that the academic performance in school and college, college reputation, school affiliation and engineering major are key predictors for starting salary. The findings also revealed that Cognitive skills English and Quantitative ability along with a desire to do a task well are significant contributors to the starting salary of engineering graduates in Indian Labour Markets.


This paper investigates the effectiveness of a lottery-based bonus reward system in reducing employee absenteeism. Starting in June 2002, a Dutch manufacturing firm held a monthly lottery for workers who had taken no sick leave in the previous three months and had not previously won the lottery. In a given lottery, each of seven contestants whose names were randomly drawn received 75 Euros. The authors find statistically significant differences in absence patterns across groups of workers with different eligibility statuses depending on their attendance records and whether they had previously won. One finding is that absenteeism rose among workers who, having won already, were ineligible for further participation. Nevertheless, and although the reduction in firm-wide absence associated with the lottery drifted from 2.4 percentage points to 1.1 percentage points after seven months, the authors conclude that the lottery was of net benefit to the firm.


Streptosporangium roseum Crauch 1955 is the type strain of the species which is the type species of the genus Streptosporangium. The 'pinkish coiled Streptomyces-like organism with a spore case' was isolated from vegetable garden soil in 1955. Here we describe the features of this organism, together with the complete genome sequence and annotation. This is the first completed genome sequence of a member of the family Streptosporangiaceae, and the second largest microbial genome sequence ever deciphered. The 10,369,518 bp long genome with its 9421 protein-coding and 80 RNA genes is a part of the GenomicEncyclopedia ofBacteria andArchaea project.


Abstract. The emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds (VOCs) over western Europe for the year 2005 are estimated via inverse modelling by assimilation of in situ observations of concentration and then subsequently compared to a standard emission inventory. The study focuses on 15 VOC species: five aromatics, six alkanes, two alkenes, one alkyne and one biogenic diene. The inversion relies on a validated fast adjoint of the chemical transport model used to simulate the fate and transport of these VOCs. The assimilated ground-based measurements over Europe are provided by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) network. The background emission errors and the prior observational errors are estimated by maximum-likelihood approaches. The positivity assumption on the VOC emission fluxes is pivotal for a successful inversion, and this maximum-likelihood approach consistently accounts for the positivity of the fluxes. For most species, the retrieved emissions lead to a significant reduction of the bias, which underlines the misfit between the standard inventories and the observed concentrations. The results are validated through a forecast test and a cross-validation test. An estimation of the posterior uncertainty is also provided. It is shown that the statistically consistent non-Gaussian approach based on a reliable estimation of the errors offers the best performance. The efficiency in correcting the inventory depends on the lifetime of the VOCs and the accuracy of the boundary conditions. In particular, it is shown that the use of in situ observations using a sparse monitoring network to estimate emissions of isoprene is inadequate because its short chemical lifetime significantly limits the spatial radius of influence of the monitoring data. For species with a longer lifetime (a few days), successful, albeit partial, emission corrections can reach regions hundreds of kilometres away from the stations. Domain-wide corrections of the emission inventories of some VOCs are significant, with underestimations of the order of a factor of 2 for propane, ethane, ethylene and acetylene.


Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in leptin (LEP) and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) have been associated with beef carcass quality and yield respectively. Both hormones also play a role in immune performance. Since both of these genes are pleiotrophic, it was important to determine whether selection based on these SNPs would negatively affect immune cell numbers. A SNP in each of these hormones was assessed for effects on immune cell counts and antibody titres in twenty-seven beef cattle herds (n = 556). A commercial rabies vaccine was administered to these animals. Prior to being vaccinated, the types of lymphocytes evaluated included B cells, gamma delta cells, regular and activated CD4 and CD8 cells and numbers of lymphocytes as well as baseline serum antibody titres. On day 21, antibody titres were measured and a booster vaccine was administered. Finally on day 42, antibody titres and lymphocyte types were again counted. Several cell types were significantly associated with the LEP genotype however, no consistent pattern of correlation was observed between LEP genotype (TT, CT or CC) and peripheral blood lymphocyte populations. The number of different lymphocytes significantly associated with LEP genotype increased from two on day 0 to four on day 42. Animals with CT and CC genotypes had significantly higher increased rabies antibody titres in the first 21 days after vaccination than those with TT genotypes. The POMC SNP also did not show a clear pattern of association between lymphocyte subtypes and genotype. There was no difference in response to the rabies vaccination associated with the POMC genotype. Our results suggested that selection at either of the SNPs examined in this research would not detrimentally impact immune function in beef cattle.


OBJECTIVE
To identify pathogenic mutations responsible for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa in 5 consanguineous Pakistani families.

METHODS
Affected individuals in the families underwent a detailed ophthalmological examination that consisted of fundus photography and electroretinography. Blood samples were collected from all participating family members, and genomic DNA was extracted. A genome-wide linkage scan was performed, followed by exclusion analyses among our cohort of nuclear consanguineous families with microsatellite markers spanning the TULP1 locus on chromosome 6p. Two-point logarithm of odds scores were calculated, and all coding exons of TULP1 were sequenced bidirectionally.

RESULTS
The results of ophthalmological examinations among affected individuals in these 5 families were suggestive of retinitis pigmentosa. The genome-wide linkage scan localized the disease interval to chromosome 6p, harboring TULP1 in 1 of 5 families, and sequential analyses identified a single base pair substitution in TULP1 that results in threonine to alanine substitution (p.T380A). Subsequently, we investigated our entire cohort of families with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa and identified 4 additional families with linkage to chromosome 6p, all of them harboring a single base pair substitution in TULP1 that results in lysine to arginine substitution (p.K489R). Results of single-nucleotide polymorphism haplotype analyses were suggestive of a common founder in these 4 families.

CONCLUSION
Pathogenic mutations in TULP1 are responsible for the autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa phenotype in these consanguineous Pakistani families, with a single ancestral mutation in TULP1 causing the disease phenotype in 4 of 5 families.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Clinical and molecular characterization of pathogenic mutations in TULP1 will increase our understanding of retinitis pigmentosa at a molecular level.


The existence of a "shadow economy" which is defined here as economic activity which is unrecorded in official statistics and hence not subject to normal taxation and regulation, is a phenomenon which has been much studied in both western industrial countries and in post- Soviet era countries of Eastern Europe and the former USSR. This paper provides rough estimates of the lower bound of the size of the unofficial economy in Tajikistan, the poorest of the former Soviet Republics. Using a household survey, base year estimates for 1999 are obtained. A series from 1991 to 2001 is constructed using a variant of the methodologies contained in Johnson, Kaufman and Zoido-Lobaton (1998) and Eilat & Zinnes (2000). It is found that shadow activities are likely to amount to close to half of all economic activities over the past decade, and that official GDP figures, which themselves contain an arbitrary adjustment for the value of shadow activities, are understated by a wide margin.


Principles of Spread-Spectrum Communication Systems, Second Edition provides a concise but lucid explanation of the fundamentals of spread-spectrum systems with an emphasis on theoretical principles. The choice of specific topics is tempered by the authors judgment of their practical significance and interest to both researchers and system designers. Throughout the book, learning is facilitated by many new or streamlined derivations of the classical theory. Problems at the end of each chapter are intended to assist readers in consolidating their knowledge and to provide practice in analytical techniques. The evolution of spread spectrum communication systems and the prominence of new mathematical methods in their design provided the motivation to undertake this new edition of the book. This edition is intended to enable readers to understand the current state-of-the-art in this field. More than 20 percent of the material in this edition is new, including a chapter on systems with iterative channel estimation, and the remainder of the material has been thoroughly revised.


M-learning will play an increasingly significant role in the development of teaching and learning methods for higher education. However, the successful implementation of m-learning in higher education will be based on users' acceptance of this technology. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to study the factors that affect university students' intentions to accept m-learning. Based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) (Venkatesh et al., 2003), this study proposes a model to identify the factors that influence the acceptance of m-learning in higher education and to investigate if prior experience of mobile devices affects the acceptance of m-learning. A structural equation model was used to analyse the data collected from 174 participants. The results indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, influence of lecturers, quality of service, and personal innovativeness were all significant factors that affect behavioural intention to use m-learning. Prior experience of mobile devices was also found to moderate the effect of these constructs on behavioural intention. The results of this research extend the UTAUT in the context of m-learning acceptance by adding quality of service and personal innovativeness to the structure of UTAUT and provide practitioners and educators with useful guidelines for designing a successful m-learning system.


Factors for promoting the resident participation in mountain villages are suggested to introduce the activity-oriented program of green tourism using a multinomial logit model(MNLM). Direct surveying, using a structured questionnaire was performed on local residents in the different types of rural tourism villages such as mountain villages, agricultural themed villages, and the mixed types of villages. The MNLM revealed that participation intention in the program was significantly higher for males, those with lower education, and residents in mountain villages. The participation intention of the program had a negative relationship with the increase of expected problems not from the program itself, but from the results of the program such as income distribution and nature destruction. Participation intention also increased with the indirect effects of an investment by the Village Development Project, such as local cooperativeness, public mind, etc. It was suggested that to introduce the activity-oriented program in mountain villages, negative effects from the results had to be minimized, and positive effects from the indirect changes between local residents had to be maximized through better communication and policy endeavors.


In this dissertation we propose the design and analysis of a new illumination invariant face recognition system. We show that the multiscale analysis of facial structure and features of face images leads to superior recognition rates for images under varying illumination. We assume that an image I(x,y) is a black box consisting of a combination of illumination and reflectance. A new approximation is proposed to enhance the illumination removal phase. As illumination resides in the low-frequency part of images, a high-performance multiresolution transformation is employed to accurately separate the frequency contents of input images. The procedure is followed by a fine-tuning process. After extracting a mask, feature vector is formed and the principal component analysis (PCA) is used for dimensionality reduction which is then proceeded by the extreme learning machine (ELM) as a classifier. We then analyze the effect of the frequency selectivity of subbands of the transformation on the performance of the proposed face recognition system. In fact, we first propose a method to tune the characteristics of a multiresolution transformation, and then analyze how these specifications may affect the recognition rate. In addition, we show that the proposed face recognition system can be further improved in terms of the computational time and accuracy. The motivation for this progress is related to the fact that although illumination mostly lies in the low-frequency part of images, these low-frequency components may have low- or high-resonance nature. Therefore, for the first time, we introduce the resonance based analysis of face images rather than the traditional frequency domain approaches. We found that energy selectivity of the subbands of the resonance based decomposition can lead to superior results with less computational complexity. The method is free of any prior information about the face shape. It is systematic and can be applied separately on each image. Several experiments are performed employing the well known databases such as the Yale B, Extended-Yale B, CMU-PIE, FERET, AT&T, and LFW. Illustrative examples are given and the results confirm the effectiveness of the method compared to the current results in the literature.


Many studies have replicated the finding that the forward rate is a biased predictor of the future change in the spot exchange rate. Usually the forward discount actually points in the wrong direction. But, at least until recently, those studies applied only to advanced economies and major currencies. We apply the same tests to a sample of 14 emerging market currencies. We find a smaller bias than for advanced country currencies. The coefficient is on average positive, i.e., the forward discount at least points in the right direction. It is never significantly less than zero. To us this suggests that a time-varying exchange risk premium may not be the explanation for traditional findings of bias. The reasoning is that emerging markets are probably riskier; yet we find that the bias in their forward rates is smaller. Emerging market currencies probably have more easily-identified trends of depreciation than currencies of advanced countries.


Juveniles are more likely to come into contact with the criminal or juvenile justice systems in the USA as victims than as offenders. Yet, except in the case of child victims of sexual abuse at the hands of a family member, juveniles as victims still receive little attention in the criminal justice literature. And, for the most part, the actors in the justice system in the USA have not been given the skills, tools, and resources to effectively deal with juveniles, especially teenaged-youth, as victims. Furthermore, policing of domestic sex trafficking of youth has focused on police response at later stages of sex trafficking (when such a crime is clearly identified) and the role of the police in coordinated response teams and building cases against the perpetrators including 'pimps.' This article offers evidence from research on commercial sexual exploitation of adolescents to examine police interactions with youth who are at a high risk for or on the pathway into domestic sex trafficking and identifies prevention and interdiction strategies. Notably, these strategies reflect the connection of police responses to domestic violence, youth status offenses, and homeless teens.


In Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the Supreme Court held, for the first time, that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) applied to for-profit corporations and, on that basis, it allowed Hobby Lobby to omit otherwise mandated contraceptive coverage from its employee healthcare package. Critics argue that the Court's novel expansion of corporate rights is fundamentally inconsistent with the basic principles of corporate law. In particular, they contend that the decision ignores the fact that the corporation, as an artificial entity, cannot exercise religion in its own right, and they decry the notion that the law might look through the corporate veil to protect the corporate owners' rights even while having the veil shield the owners from liability for the corporation's wrongs. In addition to these (supposed) deviations from corporate law principles, commentators express deep concern about Hobby Lobby's implications. Will the decision apply not just to closely-held corporations but to publicly traded ones as well? If so, how should courts deal with disagreement among shareholders about the religious convictions the corporation should adopt? Will the Court-sanctioned exemption from the contraceptive mandate open the door to other religiously-based exemptions from healthcare coverage that the Affordable Care Act requires -- blood transfusions for the corporation owned by Jehovah's Witnesses, or any form of medicine other than faith healing for the corporation owned by Christian Scientists? And does the notion of corporate religious rights threaten to justify corporate invocations of other rights -- perhaps even Second Amendment rights to bear arms, or rights of the corporation to vote in political elections? This Article focuses on the corporate law aspects of the decision, and it seeks to respond to the groundswell of reactions among corporate law scholars. I argue here that much of the consternation results from mistaken notions about the nature of the corporation and the rights that its owners may enjoy.The ambition here, however, is not merely to correct misconceptions. This Article seeks to offer a theory of what the corporation is, what it is for, and why we might ascribe religious rights to it in the first place -- considerations that elucidate just what Hobby Lobby should, and should not, portend. In this way, the Article's theoretical contributions aim to forestall the parade of horribles that Hobby Lobby otherwise threatens to unleash.


Commercial Aspects of SHG Banking in India There are two outstanding aspects to Nabard's Linking Banks and Self-Help Groups: with an outreach to 500,000 SHGs and a population of 40m rural poor, it is the largest non-directed microsavings & microcredit programme in the developing world; and its bank lending rates – fluctuating at market rates around 7% in real terms – are among the lowest. Is it a commercial proposition for the 17,000 participating bank branches, and perhaps for another 20,000 who might join the program to reach a population of 100m by 2008? We are presenting a methodology for the study of financial products, applied to seven units of three banks in October 2002. The results are indicative only. We applied average cost analysis, attributing all costs duly to each product; and marginal cost analysis, in response to the advice of bank managers to ignore personnel costs of SHG banking because of existing idle capacities. Main performance indicators are non-performing loans, return on average assets, and operational self-sufficiency. Non-performing loans to SHGs were 0%, testifying to the effectiveness of group lending to the very poor. In contrast, consolidated NPL ratios ranged from 2.6% to 18%; and of Cash Credit (CC) and Agricultural Term Loans (ATL) up to 55% and 62%, respectively. Returns on average assets of SHG Banking ranged from 1.4% to 7.5% by average and 4.6% to 11.8% by marginal cost analysis, compared to –1.7% to 2.3% consolidated. The operational selfsufficiency of SHG banking ranged from 110% to 165% by average and 142% to 286% by marginal cost analysis, compared to 86% to 145% consolidated. In contrast, ROA of Cash Credit varied from –10.2% to –0.5% and of ATL from –6.3% to 0.2%; OSS ratios from 54% to 102%. SHG Banking was found to be a robust financial product, performing well in healthy and distressed financial institutions. Self-reliance of SHGs based on internal savings and retained earnings was found to be rapidly growing, exceeding in older groups the volume of bank refinance by an increasing margin. In addition SHGs deposit substantial amounts of savings voluntarily in banks as a reserve for bad debts. In addition to direct effects on bank profits, SHG Banking has indirect commercial effects on banks in terms of improved overall vibrancy in banking activities. Indirect benefits at village level include the spreading of thrift and financial self-reliance and of a credit culture among villagers, microentrepreneurial experience, growth of assets and incomes, the spreading of financial management skills, and the decline of private moneylending. Intangible social benefits are reportedly many: self-confidence and empowerment of women in civic affairs and local politics, improved school enrolment and women's literacy, better family planning and health, improved sanitation, reduction of drinking and smoking among men, and a decline in adherence to local extremism. The future sustainability of SHG Banking hinges on five factors: (a) A sound self-supporting institutional framework is in place. (b) Despite exceptionally low interest rates, linkage banking was found to be viable and profit-making for all financial institutions and SHGs; however, many rural banks require restructuring. (c) SHGs have substantially increased their level of self-reliance and deposited reserves, while banks are constrained by high statutory liquidity requirements. (d) Given the low inflation rate, preservation of the value of resources is no major issue, except in distressed banks. (e) With continually increasing internal funds, effective supervision of SHGs through a delegated system, together with the enforcement of prudential norms in banks and cooperatives, emerges as a major challenge to the long-term sustainability of SHG banking and rural finance in India. Among the topics for further study are: pricing of financial products in a random sample of rural financial institutions; extending SHG Banking to the middle poor; options of delegated supervision for SHGs and cooperatives; collateral for larger loans within SHGs; loan protection through life insurance; and options for individual performance incentives in banks and cooperatives.


High-data-rate communications are limited not only by noise but often more
significantly by the intersymbol interference (lSI) which arises due to the memory of the
dispersive multipath fading channels.
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the performance of the Orthogonal Frequency
Division Multiplexing (OFDM) scheme over wideband multipath fading channels.
OFDM is a technique that can be used for transmitting data at extremely high rates by
means of splitting up the serial data stream into several parallel streams which are
transmitted simultaneously on different subcarriers, each occupying a small fraction of
the available bandwidth. By inserting guard interval that is longer than the delay spread
of the channel between the OFDM symbols, the lSI can be mitigated or totally
eliminated.In this thesis, the theoretical description and modeling of dispersive multipath fading
channels is presented. A proposed channel model based on Saleh and Valenzuela model
is introduced and implemented by computer simulation. The bit-error-rate (BER)
performance of the uncoded OFDM system, in terms of energy per bit-to noise ratio
(EBNR), is investigated by simulations for different modulation schemes with both
coherent and differential detection. The influence of the number of carriers as well as the
guard interval duration on the performance is also investigated.
We observed that the EBNR required to achieve a certain BER is significantly increased
by 8 - 1 0 dB for dense multipath fading channels over that required in additive white
Gaussian noise (AWGN) channels due to the decrease of the signal power as a result of
increasing the number of paths. In addition, differential modulation improves
performance in environments where rapid changes in phase are possible. OFDM can be
implemented equally well with coherent (non-differential) modulation and demodulation
to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio performance of the system. These performance
measures are useful for the design and assessment of high speed indoor wireless
communication systems.


Abstract. Lava flow simulations help to better understand volcanic hazards and may assist emergency preparedness at active volcanoes. We demonstrate that at Fogo Volcano, Cabo Verde, such simulations can explain the 2014–2015 lava flow crisis and therefore provide a valuable base to better prepare for the next inevitable eruption. We conducted topographic mapping in the field and a satellite-based remote sensing analysis. We produced the first topographic model of the 2014–2015 lava flow from combined terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and photogrammetric data. This high-resolution topographic information facilitates lava flow volume estimates of 43.7 ± 5.2 × 106 m3 from the vertical difference between pre- and posteruptive topographies. Both the pre-eruptive and updated digital elevation models (DEMs) serve as the fundamental input data for lava flow simulations using the well-established DOWNFLOW algorithm. Based on thousands of simulations, we assess the lava flow hazard before and after the 2014–2015 eruption. We find that, although the lava flow hazard has changed significantly, it remains high at the locations of two villages that were destroyed during this eruption. This result is of particular importance as villagers have already started to rebuild the settlements. We also analysed satellite radar imagery acquired by the German TerraSAR-X (TSX) satellite to map lava flow emplacement over time. We obtain the lava flow boundaries every 6 to 11 days during the eruption, which assists the interpretation and evaluation of the lava flow model performance. Our results highlight the fact that lava flow hazards change as a result of modifications of the local topography due to lava flow emplacement. This implies the need for up-to-date topographic information in order to assess lava flow hazards. We also emphasize that areas that were once overrun by lava flows are not necessarily safer, even if local lava flow thicknesses exceed the average lava flow thickness. Our observations will be important for the next eruption of Fogo Volcano and have implications for future lava flow crises and disaster response efforts at basaltic volcanoes elsewhere in the world.


The global financial crisis has exposed serious flaws in the economic governance of the Eurozone. The crisis has accelerated pre-existing divergence in the performance of member states in terms of economic growth, unemployment and inflation. Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) governance structures have proved ineffective in averting a sovereign debt crisis and in facilitating its management. European Union (EU) decision makers have resorted to new and untested policies, not provided for or envisaged by the EU founding treaties. Rescue loans to Greece and Ireland were crafted on an ad hoc basis so as to overcome the no-bailout clause of EMU. The EU decision to partner with the IMF, an extra-European institution, in the financing of a bailout fund for Eurozone states at risk of defaulting on their debts may be attributable to the dysfunctionalities of EMU institutions. Precrisis assessments that the EMU's system of economic governance is fit for its purposes warrant re-examination. The effectiveness of the macroeconomic policy design of EMU can be gauged in comparison to that of the United States, an entity of comparable size and weight in the global economy. Reforms to the economic governance of the Eurozone are critical for the future of the Eurozone.


This study is about how the use of client insight can maximize the effectiveness of a marketing strategy in an organization. During the study an extensive literature review was done to investigate the role of management in creating a client centric culture by applying theories such as the Five-factor model of personality and the Full Range of Leadership Model proposed by Bass and Avolio (1994). Detailed review on the latest client insight theories and global trends such as neuromarketing, advocacy advertising and law of lens was explored. A client insight research survey was administered to investigate specific aspects of the client centric culture and the implementation of insight driven marketing strategies within Sanlam. The survey found that there is high level of awareness of client centricity within the organisation. However, the implementation of client insight driven strategies in most departments surveyed was unfavourable. Areas identified for improvement were the need for greater awareness, usage of client insight related services and a more active role of management in promoting client centric strategies. Best practices, policies and recommendations with regards to management's role in using client insight, data mining and market intelligence was suggested for the enhancement of the marketing strategy. It was recommended that change agents be incorporated within Sanlam to catalyze the process of entrenching day-to-day client insight driven work performances and management transformation. Further investigation is suggested regarding the incompatible data management technology, which should enable the company to obtain a single view of the client as well as instituting the virtuous cycle in the market research and information department.


This paper examines whether the provision of hyperlinks may constitute communication to the public by violating the author's exclusive 'making available' right. The assessment is accomplished through a comparative study of European case law, in particular, by discussing principles expressed in national case law, as well as in landmark CJEU cases, such as Svensson and GS Media . The analysis aims to show that European national courts, in their large majority, have concluded that hyperlinking is not an act of communication to the public. However, acts of infringement by means of hyperlinking have been generally captured under provisions and doctrines on indirect liability, such as contributory infringement or authorisation. I will argue that national laws on indirect liability, coupled with the provision against circumvention of technological measures, are sufficient to determine liability in cases where copyright infringement takes place via hyperlinking. This makes the discussion on whether hyperlinking is a direct infringement of the communication right largely speculative. Keywords : hyperlinking; hyperlinks; making available right; communication to the public; Svensson; copyright; copyright infringement


A Computational Hybrid Method for Self-Intersection Free Offsetting of CAD Geometry Garrett Bodily Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science Surface offsetting is a valuable tool used in Computer Aided Design (CAD). An offset surface is a collection of points that are at a constant distance from another surface. An offset surface is created in CAD by selecting a surface and then specifying the distance that the surface is to be offset. If a surface is selected and a distance of D is specified, then the resulting offset surface should always be distance D from the original surface. The surface offset tool can be used for many applications. Modeling of composites or other layered manufacturing processes rely heavily on offset surfaces. Thin walled parts such as injection molded components are often modeled using the offset tool. Coating processes can also be modeled using the offset tool. Modern CAD systems have surface offsetting tools and are widely used throughout industry. However, CAD systems often fail to produce valid results. The process of surface offsetting can often result in surface self-intersections as well as surface degeneracies. Selfintersections and degeneracies make the surfaces invalid because they are physically impossible to create and CAD systems cannot use these invalid surfaces to represent solid bodies. The surface offset tool is therefore, one of the most challenging CAD tools to implement. The process of avoiding, detecting and removing surface self-intersections is extremely challenging. Much research in the field of CAD is dedicated to the detection and removal of surface selfintersections. However, the methods proposed in the literature all suffer from robustness problems. The purpose of this research is to introduce a method that creates valid offset surfaces and does not suffer from the problem of creating surface self-intersections. This method uses a numerical approach that approximates the offset surface and avoids all self-intersections. Because no selfintersections are created, the method does not require intersection tests of any kind. The value of this method is demonstrated by comparing its results with results from leading CAD systems.


States' failure to comply with their international obligations has been viewed by institutional theory as problems to be solved, rather than as wrongs to be punished. This article reviews how Norway has employed different postagreement bargaining strategies in the Joint Norwegian-Russian Fisheries Commission in order to enhance Russian compliance with the bilateral fisheries agreements in the Barents Sea and with the precautionary approach more widely.


Abstract. The hydrological cycle of river basins can be simulated by combining global climate models (GCMs) and global hydrological models (GHMs). The spatial resolution of these models is restricted by computational resources and therefore limits the processes and level of detail that can be resolved. To further improve simulations of precipitation and river-runoff on a global scale, we assess and compare the benefits of an increased resolution for a GCM and a GHM. We focus on the Rhine and Mississippi basin. Increasing the resolution of a GCM (1.125° to 0.25°) results in more realistic large-scale circulation patterns over the Rhine and an improved precipitation budget. These improvements with increased resolution are not found for the Mississippi basin, most likely because precipitation is strongly dependent on the representation of still unresolved convective processes. Increasing the resolution of vegetation and orography in the high resolution GHM (from 0.5° to 0.05°) shows no significant differences in discharge for both basins, because the hydrological processes depend highly on other parameter values that are not readily available at high resolution. Therefore, increasing the resolution of the GCM provides the most straightforward route to better results. This route works best for basins driven by large-scale precipitation, such as the Rhine basin. For basins driven by convective processes, such as the Mississippi basin, improvements are expected with even higher resolution convection permitting models.


Abstract
Two cases of patients with evidence of both vascular and spinal intermittent claudication are presented. When patients present with low back pain and post-exercise lower extremity pain, confusion may arise with respect to the etiology of the symptoms. These cases stress the need for a rational and logical approach to the patient with intermittent claudication.


Reflective practice and inquiry are aspects of teacher professional practice that characterise teachers as learners. Reflective practice in some form is considered in contemporary education as an essential activity for teachers and teacher educators. 'Inquiry as professional development' and 'inquiry as research', on the other hand, are forms of reflective practice designed and intended to go beyond the personal. We explore the following three research and two inquiry approaches that teachers can use to inform their practice and contribute to our collective knowledge about teaching: the research methods of self-study, autoethnography and action research, and the inquiry approaches 'teaching as inquiry', and 'spiral of inquiry'. Any research or inquiry approach used needs to fit purpose, language use, positioning as a researcher and writer, degree of reflexivity and the degree of public critique of the project. When the chosen approach fits, our research work has a better chance of improving teaching, student progress and achievement, in short: being useful to others.


The popular reading of the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19 credits the destruction of the cities to rampant homosexuality. The basis of this reading is found in the ambiguous statement of the deity in Genesis 18:20 as to their ''grave sin'' and Lot's statement in 19:8 that the men of Sodom should sexually assault his daughters instead of the men. These two statements, grounded in patriarchy, heterosexism, ethnocentrism and theocentrism underpin the sanction to oppress same gender loving people with the ''authority of holy hatred''. This article will give an alternative reading to the narrative by concentrating on literary cues, often masked by translation choices, by characterizations of Lot and the deity, and by comparisons with other similar plot details. My contention is that the narrative can be read as a spy tale on the order of Joshua 2 and 2 Samuel 10. I also contend that the proposed use of the bodies of Lot's daughters follows other biblical narratives of men feeling threatened and who use women's bodies to protect themselves. Finally I argue that the translation choices of the commentators in presenting the narrative and discussing the passage ignore other options of translation and interpretation, thus, readers are kept bound to see this story as one about homosexuality instead of daughters being sexually abused. The latter possibility is so horrific that the anti-homosexual reading has been sustained by readers in order to not only exonerate the deity but also to support patriarchal, ethnocentric, theocentric and heterosexist privileges.


SUMMARY: Children suffering from a variety of chronic and recurrent infections are suspected to be deficient in one or more than one compartment of their immune system. Peripheral blood lymphocytes of a group of 30 such children were bioassayed through E-rosetting. Thirty healthy children were also included as controls. Significantly lower means of total leukocytes, total lymphocytes and rosetting lymphocytes were obtained with sick children as compared to the respective values for the healthy children. However, the mean non-rosetting cells of the diseased children was 20% higher than that of the controls. The phenomenon is discussed. Plausible association of altered lymphocyte population, autoimmune disorders and malignancies is discussed as well. A general lymphocytopenia even in the healthy children is also being reported.


Background Some hospital Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems support interprofessional communication. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of pharmacist-physician messages sent via a CPOE system. Method Data from the year 2012 were captured from a large university teaching hospital CPOE database on: 1) review messages assigned by pharmacists; 2) details of the prescription on which the messages were assigned; and 3) details of any changes made to the prescription following a review message being assigned. Data were coded for temporal, message and prescription factors. Messages were analysed to investigate: 1) whether they were signed-off; and 2) the time taken. Messages that requested a measurable action were further analysed to investigate: 1) whether they were actioned as requested; and 2) the time taken. We conducted a multivariable analysis using Generalised Estimating Equations (GEE) to account for the effects of multiple factors simultaneously, and to adjust for any potential correlation between outcomes for repeated review messages on the same prescription. All analyses were performed using SPSS 22 (IBM SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), with p<0.05 considered significant. Results Pharmacists assigned 36,245 review messages to prescriptions over the 12 months, 34,506 of which were coded for analysis after exclusions. Nearly half of messages (46.6%) were signed-off and 65.5% of these were signed-off in ≤ 48 hours. Of the 9,991 further analysed for action, 35.8% led to an action as requested by the pharmacist and just over half of these (57.0%) were actioned in ≤ 24 hours. Factors predictive of an action were the time since the prescription was generated (p<0.001), pharmacist grade (p<0.001), presence of a high-risk medicine (p<0.001), messages relating to reconciliation (p = 0.004), theme of communication (p<0.001), speciality, (p<0.001), category of medicine (p<0.001), and regularity of the prescription (p<0.001). Conclusion In this study we observed a lower rate of sign-off and action than we might have expected, suggesting uni-directional communication via the CPOE system may not be optimal. An established pharmacist-physician collaborative working relationship is likely to influence the prioritisation and response to messages, since a more desirable outcome was observed in settings and with grades of pharmacists where this was more likely. Designing systems that can facilitate collaborative communication may be more effective in practice.


OBJECTIVE
The authors examined instances of past sexual abuse and related demographic characteristics in the self-reports of a select group of married observant Jewish women.

METHODS
Orthodox Jewish married women (N=380) ages 19 to 58 responded to advertisements asking them to complete an anonymous questionnaire about sexual experiences, including sexual abuse.

RESULTS
Sexual abuse was reported by 26% of the respondents surveyed, with 16% reporting abuse occurring by the age of 13. More ultra-Orthodox Jews reported abuse than modern-Orthodox Jews. Women who were raised observant reported significantly less childhood sexual abuse than those who became observant later in life. Sexual abuse was associated with increased treatment-seeking for depression, marital counseling, or other emotional or psychological problems.

CONCLUSION
While observant Jewish women live in a culture defined by a high degree of adherence to specific laws of conduct, including rules designed to regulate sexual contact, sexual abuse of various types still exists among them.


Multiple sclerosis (MS) is characterized by a chronic inflammation, demyelination and gliosis resulting in damage of the central nervous system (CNS). No definitive diagnostic tests for multiple sclerosis is currently available. Using the CSF from MS patients on cultures of differentiating oligodendrocytes (MO3.13), we have found that the expression of a specific Marker (Marker C) is significantly reduced compared with control groups. Marker-C is a stress marker. We do not disclose the identity of Marker-C because it is under patentin process as a marker of early multiple sclerosis. Moreover, we have found in CSF from MS patients molecules that act on redox pathways and interfere with hydrogen peroxide induced oligodendrocyte maturation. In differentiated MO3.13 cells, treated with CSF from MS patients, there is also, a significant increase of other 2 markers (Marker-A and Marker-B), which are negative differentiation markers, compared to cells treated with CSF from control group. These results indicate that CSF from MS patients contain specific molecule(s) that inhibit the oligodendrocyte differentiation by increasing the expression of the Marker-A and -B. Combining the variation of the stress marker, Marker-C, with the negative differentiation markers, Marker-A and -B, we have developed a mathematical MS index (AxB/C). We estimate that the test can detect a MS patient with a +/-5% error (false negatives). The identification of specific markers of oxidative stress and/or negative differentiation (markers A, B and C) modulated in M03.13 cells after MS CSF stimulation, may represent an indirect measurement of a specific cell receptor activation. This assay can be used as guide to develop a new diagnostic method for an early diagnosis of MS. Our test provides an opportunity to measure at an early stagethe activation of a specific signal transduction pathway resulting in the block of differentiation of oligodendrocytes. We conclude that in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)derived from patients with multiple sclerosis there is a molecule(s) that acts on oxidative stress pathways and that inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation, altering the normal re-myelinization process.


"Literary Theories in Praxis analyzes the ways in which critical theories are transformed into literary criticism and methodology. To demonstrate the application of this analysis, critical writings of Roland Barthes, Harold Bloom, Cleanth Brooks, Jacques Derrida, Northrop Frye, Norman Holland, Barbara Johnson, Jacques Lacan, Adrienne Rich, and Robert Scholes are examined in terms of the primary critical stance each author employs--New Critical, phenomenological, archetypal, structuralist/semiotic, sociological, psychoanalytic, reader-response, deconstructionist, or humanist. The book is divided into nine sections, each with a prefatory essay explaining the critical stance taken in the selections that follow and describing how theory becomes literary criticism. In a headnote to each selection, Staton analyzes how the critic applies his or her critical methodology to the subject literary work. Shirley F. Staton's introduction sketches the overall philosophical positions and relationships among the various critical modes. "The proverbially 'welcome addition to the field.' It has a surprising breadth and balance in these days of reluctant canonization and yet fierce ideological attitudes."--"College Literature


Abstract An understanding of the mineralogy and petrogenesis of rare earth element deposits has significant implications for their economic viability. Lanthanide-bearing compounds are known to produce sharp absorption features in the visible to short-wave infrared region (VIS-SWIR), however, a significant knowledge gap exists between the fields of hyperspectral reflectance spectroscopy and rare earth element mineralogy. Reflectance spectra were collected from four bastnäsite samples, two parisite samples, and one synchysite sample from the visible into the short-wave infrared. These REE fluorocarbonate mineral samples were characterized via scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. Sharp absorptions of REE-bearing minerals are mostly the result of 4f-4f intraconfigurational electron transitions and for the light REE-enriched fluorocarbonates, the bulk of the features can be ascribed to Nd3+, Pr3+, Sm3+, and Eu3+. The lanthanide-related spectral responses of the REE fluorocarbonates are consistent across the group, supporting the notion that the REE cation site is very similar in each of these minerals. Carbonate-related spectral responses differed between these minerals, supporting the notion that the crystallographic sites for the carbonate radical differ between bastnäsite, synchysite, and parisite. Exploitable spectral differences include a distinct absorption band at 2243 nm that separates bastnäsite from synchysite and parisite. Similarly, for bastnäsite a dominantly Pr3+-related absorption band located is at 1968 nm, while in synchysite and parisite it occurs at 1961 nm.


Objective Sleep problems are experienced by 25-30 percent of children and adolescents, regardless of age. The purpose of this study was to investigate if there is any relationship between gender or school entrance and sleep complaints. Methods From June 2008 to May 2009 children aged 2 to 12 years were selected by clustered randomization of families. The Persian version of the BEARS questionnaire (Bedtime problems, Excessive sleepiness, Awakenings during the night, Regularity of sleep, Snoring) with five domains was filled out by general pediatricians. Prevalence of sleep complaints in each B-E-A-R-S category was calculated and compared for pre-school and school-age groups. Findings BEARS questionnaire was completed for a total of 746 children (2-12 years old); 325 in pre-school-age group (2-6 years old) (142 females [43.7%] and 183 males [56.3%]) and 421 in primary school-age group (7-12 years old) with the average age of 3.93 (±0.16) years and 9.63 (±0.16) years respectively. The most common screening problem in both groups was excessive daytime sleepiness (64.9% and 62.9% respectively). Bedtime problems and also regularity and duration of sleep were significantly more prevalent in pre-school-age group (P<0.0002; odds ratio [OR] =1.98; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.98-4.20; and OR=2.00; 95%CI: 1.41- 2.84 respectively). The difference between mean sleep duration between pre-school age and school-age groups was statistically significant (P<0.0001). Conclusion The current survey shows that different types of sleep problems are relatively high especially in the form of excessive daytime sleeping domain in preschool- and school-aged children. Bedtime problems and regularity problems were significantly more prevalent in pre-school-age group. School entrance seems to play a positive role for bedtime problems, and sleep-disordered breathing.


This research focused on revealing what needs determine the patronage of an academic library in a federal university of agriculture in Nigeria. Also of interest was the purpose of usage, frequency, collections used and type of usage. The study was conducted during the second semester of 2010/2011 academic session. Survey method was employed with a 22-item questionnaire designed to collect data from the respondents. Two hundred and seventy-six (276) copies of questionnaire found usable from the 285 copies of questionnaire returned out of 300 copies distributed formed the base of this study. The data were analyzed using simple percentage and presented on charts. Some of the findings of the study revealed that majority of the students use library for multiple purposes ranging from reading personal materials to consultation of library materials to execute given assignments. Also discovered was that most students use library on weekly basis while textbooks constitute the library collections mostly used. It was also discovered that even when the respondents agreed that the library collections are adequate, majority of them only come to the library during examinations. To correct this trend, the researchers proffered some recommendations.


In any system which defines color on the basis of the non-spatial, non-temporal properties of light it is shown that white, gray, and black are not colors. The perception of white is shown to be caused by a physical property of the object not associated with its selectivity. This property is the diffusion of light. White is shown to be one extreme of a series starting at clear and passing through various degrees of pale white to a maximum. Gray is shown to be the perception of the relative visual effectiveness of the light from two areas and cannot be seen unless at least two areas are present. Black is considered the extreme in lack of relative effectiveness.


Large institutional investors continue to view multifamily real estate favorably and raise their allocations to this sector. It is commonly perceived among institutional investors that multifamily—and multifamily development in particular—is a safer investment relative to other property sectors, a common refrain being "you can always lease it up." In this article, the authors attempt to validate this statement by examining the distribution of lease-up terms from initial lease-up to stabilization for multifamily developments delivered in the United States between 2008 and 2018. In addition, they investigate the impact of the length of the lease-up period on effective rents. Unfortunately, they do not have underwritten projections for each development to compare with subsequent performance as a mechanism to determine an investment's success. Despite this gap in the available data, the authors generally find support for the conventional wisdom; most developments are able to lease-up in a relatively expedient fashion, no matter the position in the economic/business cycle. However, effective rent change over the lease-up period varies significantly by point of cycle and lease-up term and is an important factor in the investment performance of multifamily developments. TOPIC: Real estate Key Findings • Multifamily development is considered lower risk by many investors, relative to other property sectors, as you "can always lease it up." • Our research confirms this—relatively expedient lease-up is achieved across markets, vintage, property size, etc. • Effective rent growth, on the other hand, is more sensitive to these factors, and varies significantly by lease-up term.


The brief's key findings are: *Even though retirees are increasingly responsible for deciding how to draw down their assets, few buy annuities. *Researchers have offered a host of explanations for the limited take-up, but the puzzle has never been solved. *This analysis finds that valuing annuities is hard for people, so they may only buy one if offered a very good deal. *To test this finding, alternative explanations were explored and the results were negative, strengthening the conclusion that people find annuities hard to value. *These results suggest that many individuals, on their own, may have difficulty making well-informed choices about managing their money in retirement.


A sourcebook of 1980s fashion print, this edition showcases prints from a design period that is having a major revival. Covering the whole of this decade of excess, the book includes prints that were, for the first time, produced completely by fashion fabric designers (not the interior print designers of earlier eras.) The creativity of the period is given full expression in this sourcebook of hundreds of designs that make it an essential for contemporary designers and students. The book contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork from designers as well as finished prints. Each short chapter introduction is followed by illustrations with captions to give provenance and relevance. The prints are arranged in the following chapters: * Glamazon: the big-hair look demanded bold, colourful patterning that said 'Look at me' * Neon Blitz: dazzling colour, ostentation and the influence of graffiti * Urban Jungle: An urban take on the floral print with exotic multi-coloured images, typified by the prints of Kenzo * Catch The Wave: the influence of the surfing, skateboarding trends on print with high-voltage motifs and a modern take on the Hawaiian shirt * Radical Classical: Revisiting the past, as in all design eras, the 1980s appropriated Classical statues and architectural detail Word count 8000 * Hundreds of prints from this key decade of fashion design * A unique sourcebook for designers and students * Ideal for the 1980s revival in fashion design and print * Contains exclusive illustrations and original artwork of print designers


Summary Th e aim of the present study was to examine the chronic eff ect of T-2 toxin on feed consumption and sperm quality. Pannon White (n=10/group) male rabbits (weight: 4050-4500 g, age: 9 month) trained to ejaculate into artifi cial vagina were exposed to 0 (control), 0.05, 0.1 or 0.2 mg/animal/day of T-2 toxin by gavage for 63 days. On the 63rd day of the experiment semen was collected with an artifi cial vagina, and the following traits were evaluated: pH, concentration, morphology, motility with CASA, concentration of seminal plasma components such as citric acid, zinc and fructose. At the end of the experiment animals were necropsied and the testes were subjected to histopathological examination. T-2 toxin in 0.1 mg and 0.2 daily dose signifi cantly decreased feed intake in the fi rst two weeks but no signifi cant diff erence between groups were observed from the 4th week. Among the sperm quality traits examined only the ratio of spermatozoa with cytoplasmic droplets increased by 320% in animals treated with the highest dose of T-2. Th e 0.1 mg/animal/day toxin exposure resulted in a slight hyperplasia of the Leydig cells, while the highest dose (0.2 mg/animal/ day) caused hyperaemia, increased proliferative activity and hyperplasia of the Leydig cells. According to the preliminary results it seems, that adult male rabbits may tolerate the concentration of 0.05 mg/animal/day T-2 toxin.


This paper considers the influence of microstructural changes obtained by suitable heat treatment on impact toughness and pitting corrosion resistance of cast duplex stainless steel U.U8C-22.5Cr-8Ni-2Mo-3.5Cu5 Investigated steel was annealed in the temperature range from I000 to I300 C for lh and water quenched. Microstructure of specimens obtained from broken Charpy bars was characterized quantitatively using a semi-automatic image analyser. The stereological parameters: Vv, SV and Sv/VV were estimated by a linear method. The localized corrosion behavior was studied in 0.5M NaCl using the potentiodynamic anodig polarisation method. The changes in microstructure are pronounced from I100 C. In comparison with the cast structure ferrite/austenite ratio gradually increases while the surface density and specific (surface decrease. The impact toughness, however, reaches a maximum at H00 C and then decreases. The corrosion resistance of all heat treated alloys is improved. The lowest current density and best resistancce to pit initiation are achieved by annealing in the range from I100 to l2lD C. The results indicate that the ferrite/austenite ratio itself is a very important but not a single factor determining the mechanical and corrosion properties of cast duplex steel.


In March 2012, a small farm in Latvia with a collection of over 200 tomato varieties was charged with the illegal sale of seeds not included in the European Union's Common Catalogue. The farm's collection includes traditional Latvian varieties that have never been officially registered, Western varieties imported illegally during the Soviet years, and Russian varieties that came into use during the Soviet years and are now defended by Latvian gardeners as "traditionally grown" and representing the taste of their childhoods. The debate highlighted the continuing struggle over Latvia's geopolitical positioning between Russia and the European Union and control over seeds as a tactic of empire. I explore the cultural memories embedded in the contested tomato seeds and how they contribute to an intertwined imaginary of the Latvian landscape idyll with a Soviet sociality. I argue that the innovative resolution to this conflict represents a process of transculturation in a contact zone between empires (Pratt 1992).


A #-shaped gold wires metamaterial is designed for surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and sensing. The tunability of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) excitations, hotspots distribution, localized field enhancement and sensitivity of the structure are investigated. In contrast to most metamaterial, the #-shaped structure exhibits two pronounced SPRs that are insensitive to the polarization of excitation light. Pure electromagnetic Raman enhancement factors of about 10(6) are achieved on the symmetrically distributed field hotspots. It is possible to break the usable wavelength range of conventional gold SERS substrates via higher order excitations of the #-shaped metamaterial. In addition, the sensitivity and the figure of merits are found to be comparable or even higher than those of conventional SERS substrates. All these factors together with the high reproducibility nature of metamaterial and its simple planer structure suggest that this structure is very promising for surface enhanced spectroscopy and sensing applications.


The basic principle of systems for computer-assisted surgery (CAS – «Computer Assisted Surgery») consists in the possibility of three-dimensional determining the position of surgical instruments both in the operative field, and in preoperative or operating images. The first CAS systems for the spine were introduced in the late 90s in order to optimize the placement of transpedicle screws. Two technologioes are used: navigation based on computer tomograph (CT) images and fluoronavigation which is an alternative system. New intraoperative navigation technologies became to be used in the spine surgery at the end of the first decade of the XXI century. 3D electron-optical converters are used for three-dimensional visualization like CT. In view of individual anatomical parameters of vertebrae this thechnology allows to choose the optimal intrapedicle trajectory properly both at the stage of preoperative planning and in the process of surgery. It involves digital processing of CT-examination data, and construction of trajectories for implantation thereby allowing to determine the correct entry point and the vector of the screw being implanted intraoperatively. Such mini-robots as «Bone Mounted Robot» (a robot with bone fixation) are more assistants during auxiliary instrumentation placement than real robots. They are fixed directly on the vertebral spinous process, and modeling the trajectory of implantation is carried out on the base of CT-model. Navigation provides the accuracy of high degree for choosing projection and vectors of transpedicle screw implantation comparing with traditional surgical methods. The advantage of navigation systems becomes evident when transpedicle implants are used for correction of the spine large deformities or through locking the spine segments. Meta-analysis demonstrates that among often used navigation systems CT-based navigators provide somewhat greater accuracy than fluoronavigation 2D systems. However, the accuracy level of these two systems is a little lower than that of the new systems of fluoronavigation 3D. As for the degree of exposure (radiation), these methods can be arranged in descending order as follows: traditional fluoroscopy, fluoronavigation 2D, CT-based navigation, and fluoronavigation 3D. Moreover, the surgery duration when using fluoronavigation 3D system is comparable with traditional surgery.


Reconstruction of defects occurring during periacetabular resections of pelvic tumors is required particularly in young and functionally active persons. Allograft reconstruction provides good functional outcomes in restoration of normal pelvic anatomy. A 24-year-old male patient was reconstructed with an allograft-prosthesis composite after periacetabular resection due to pelvic chondrosarcoma. After four years, a two-staged revision with a custom-made pelvic prosthesis was performed due to septic failure. Successful radiographic and functional outcomes were achieved at two-year follow-up. In conclusion, we suggest a two-staged revision with a custom-made pelvic prosthesis as a satisfactory option in case of septic failure of allograft reconstruction after periacetabular resection.


The therapeutic implications of DNA damage in cancer therapy have long been appreciated and form the basis of many successful cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment strategies. A novel class of DNA repair defect targeted therapeutics that inhibit poly (ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) are being rapidly developed in breast cancer based on exciting preliminary clinical activity as single agents in BRCA mutation-associated breast cancer and in combination with chemotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer. Though there is widespread enthusiasm to move these drugs forward quickly, much remains to be understood about the optimal use of the novel agents. Here we review the clinical development of PARP inhibitors in breast cancer and highlight clinical trials in progress. We also provide commentary on a series of outstanding questions in the field, the answers to which will be critical for the successful development of PARP inhibitor-based strategies in early- and late-stage breast cancer.