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Kinds of Coin Selected AbstractsSEXUAL DIMORPHISM AND ADAPTIVE SPECIATION: TWO SIDES OF THE SAME ECOLOGICAL COINEVOLUTION, Issue 11 2003Daniel I. Bolnick Abstract Models of adaptive speciation are typically concerned with demonstrating that it is possible for ecologically driven disruptive selection to lead to the evolution of assortative mating and hence speciation. However, disruptive selection could also lead to other forms of evolutionary diversification, including ecological sexual dimorphisms. Using a model of frequency-dependent intraspecific competition, we show analytically that adaptive speciation and dimorphism require identical ecological conditions. Numerical simulations of individual-based models show that a single ecological model can produce either evolutionary outcome, depending on the genetic independence of male and female traits and the potential strength of assortative mating. Speciation is inhibited when the genetic basis of male and female ecological traits allows the sexes to diverge substantially. This is because sexual dimorphism, which can evolve quickly, can eliminate the frequency-dependent disruptive selection that would have provided the impetus for speciation. Conversely, populations with strong assortative mating based on ecological traits are less likely to evolve a sexual dimorphism because females cannot simultaneously prefer males more similar to themselves while still allowing the males to diverge. This conflict between speciation and dimorphism can be circumvented in two ways. First, we find a novel form of speciation via negative assortative mating, leading to two dimorphic daughter species. Second, if assortative mating is based on a neutral marker trait, trophic dimorphism and speciation by positive assortative mating can occur simultaneously. We conclude that while adaptive speciation and ecological sexual dimorphism may occur simultaneously, allowing for sexual dimorphism restricts the likelihood of adaptive speciation. Thus, it is important to recognize that disruptive selection due to frequency-dependent interactions can lead to more than one form of adaptive splitting. [source] Negotiations and the Anti-Taliban Counterinsurgency in PakistanASIAN POLITICS AND POLICY, Issue 2 2010Syed Manzar Abbas Zaidi This article engages with the Pakistani government's tendency to negotiate peace settlements with Taliban militants as a primary element of their counterinsurgency (COIN) policy. These peace settlements have consistently broken down, exacerbating a causal spiral of violence, as elaborated by an analytical matrix by the author. This COIN strategy has been seen by many, particularly in the United States, as a beacon for militants to regroup, with a consequent renewal of insurgency and terror attacks. This article attempts to contextualize the peace processes reached by negotiations of the Pakistani government with the militants, with projections for a successful COIN policy being articulated at the empirical level. [source] DETECTING CHANGES OF CELTIC GOLD SOURCES THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF TRACE ELEMENT AND Pb ISOTOPE LASER ABLATION ANALYSIS OF CELTIC GOLD COINS*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 4 2009C. BENDALL This project follows on from an initial study of Celtic gold coins from the Middle Rhine/Moselle region, which was based on material found at the Martberg, a Late Iron Age/Roman sanctuary and settlement (River Moselle, western Germany; Bendall 2003). The earlier work was expanded to encompass over 100 examples of various other regional Celtic gold coinages from the collection of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz. The alloy (Au,Ag,Cu) and trace element compositions (in particular Ni, Sb and Pt) were determined by EPMA and LA,ICP,MS, respectively, and their Pb isotope signatures were measured by LA,MC,ICP,MS. Of the 28 trace elements measured, only Ni, Sb and Pt were found to show meaningful variations and so only they are presented here. In particular, differences in the Pt/Au ratios between various groups of earlier coinage (imitations of Philippus and Alexander/Nike staters, Sch. 23 and some early Boian coins) on the one hand, and the majority of the Boian and the southern rainbow cup coinages on the other, indicate a significant difference in the gold sources exploited for these regional coinages. The Pb isotope data confirm previous conclusions that the contribution of gold to the total lead in the Au,Ag,Cu coin alloys can be detected, especially for coins with over 70% gold, and show that possible gold sources include both eastern Mediterranean and Alpine sources. Combining the Pb isotope data with the Pt/Au ratios allows the potential gold sources to be further differentiated. [source] High Risk Groups Often Have Higher Levels of Alcohol Response Than Low Risk: The Other Side of the CoinALCOHOLISM, Issue 2 2010David B. Newlin First page of article [source] World Kidney Day 2009: Chronic Kidney Disease and Hypertension: Two Sides of the Same CoinJOURNAL OF RENAL CARE, Issue 1 2009Eberhand Ritz [source] The Other Side of the Coin: Knowledge, NGOs and EU Trade PolicyPOLITICS, Issue 1 2008Holly Jarman Despite the persistent influence of business, non-profit interest groups promoting development for the world's poorest countries, environmental protection, public health and other issues are actively seeking to influence the European trade agenda. Presenting interview evidence from doctoral research on lobbying and trade policy in the European Union and United States, this article argues that within new forms of EU consultation, insider business associations and NGOs adopt similar lobbying strategies, but that this has done little to bridge the divide between their fundamental beliefs. [source] Coin flipping from a cosmic source: On error correction of truly random bitsRANDOM STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS, Issue 4 2005Elchanan Mossel We study a problem related to coin flipping, coding theory, and noise sensitivity. Consider a source of truly random bits x , {0, 1}n, and k parties, who have noisy version of the source bits yi , {0, 1}n, when for all i and j, it holds that P[y = xj] = 1 , ,, independently for all i and j. That is, each party sees each bit correctly with probability 1 , ,, and incorrectly (flipped) with probability ,, independently for all bits and all parties. The parties, who cannot communicate, wish to agree beforehand on balanced functions fi: {0, 1}n , {0, 1} such that P[f1(y1) = , = fk(yk)] is maximized. In other words, each party wants to toss a fair coin so that the probability that all parties have the same coin is maximized. The function fi may be thought of as an error correcting procedure for the source x. When k = 2,3, no error correction is possible, as the optimal protocol is given by fi(yi) = y. On the other hand, for large values of k, better protocols exist. We study general properties of the optimal protocols and the asymptotic behavior of the problem with respect to k, n, and ,. Our analysis uses tools from probability, discrete Fourier analysis, convexity, and discrete symmetrization. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2005 [source] Coining and Defining Novel Nursing Terminology.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 1 2009Part 3: Critical Incident Control PURPOSE.,In the third of a three-part series, a novel nursing terminology is introduced and proposed for inclusion in the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC),Critical incident control (CIC),defined as a response that attempts to reverse a life-threatening condition. Critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND), defined as recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication, and critical incident nursing intervention, defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse,initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a CIND, were introduced in Parts 1 and 2 of this series, respectively. DATA SOURCES.,The current literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. DATA SYNTHESIS.,The current nursing outcomes in the NOC are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations. CONCLUSION.,Coining and defining novel nursing terminology, CIC, for patient care during life-threatening situations is important and fills the gap in the current standardized nursing terminology. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE.,Refining the NOC will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on nursing diagnoses in conjunction with the proposed novel nursing terminology, CIC. [source] Coining and Defining Novel Nursing Terminology.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 4 2008Part 2: Critical Incident Nursing Intervention PURPOSE.,In the second of a three-part series, a novel nursing terminology is introduced and proposed for inclusion in the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC): Critical incident nursing intervention (CINI), defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse,initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND). A CIND is defined as recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication. DATA SOURCES.,The literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. DATA SYNTHESIS.,The current nursing interventions in the NIC are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations. CONCLUSION.,Coining and defining novel nursing terminology, CINI, for patient care during life-threatening situations is important and fills the gap in the current standardized nursing terminology. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE.,Refining the NIC will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on nursing interventions in conjunction with the proposed novel nursing terminology, CINI. The first article in this series (Part 1) introduced the novel nursing terminology: CIND; the present article (Part 2) introduces the novel nursing terminology: CINI; and the third article in this series (Part 3) will introduce the novel nursing terminology: critical incident control. [source] Coining and Defining Novel Nursing Terminology.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NURSING TERMINOLOGIES AND CLASSIFICATION, Issue 3 2008Part 1: Critical Incident Nursing Diagnosis PURPOSE.,In the first of a three-part series, a novel nursing terminology is introduced and proposed for inclusion in the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) International Classification,Critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND),defined as the recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication. DATA SOURCES.,The literature, research studies, and meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. DATA SYNTHESIS.,The current nursing diagnoses in the NANDA International Classification are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations. CONCLUSIONS.,Coining and defining a novel nursing terminology, CIND, for patient care during life-threatening situations are important and fill the gap in the current standardized nursing terminology. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE.,Refining the NANDA International Classification will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on nursing diagnoses in conjunction with the proposed novel nursing terminology: CIND. Parts 2 and 3 of this series will propose additional nursing terminology: critical incident nursing intervention and critical incident control, respectively. [source] Coins and trade in early medieval ItalyEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 1 2009Alessia Rovelli This paper is an analysis of monetary circulation in early medieval Italy in the period c.600,900. Using a dual comparison , first, of the level of currency use as against ceramics within Italy, and second, of the pattern of Italian coin use, and economic activity more generally, with that north of the Alps , this paper presents examples that shed light on patterns of change and discontinuity. [source] Metamorphoses of the early medieval signum of a ruler in the Carolingian worldEARLY MEDIEVAL EUROPE, Issue 4 2006Ildar H. Garipzanov This article uses the approach of diplomatic semiotics to explore early medieval signs of authority in charters and on coins, especially the monogram and the sign of the cross used as an individual ,signature'. Coins and charters used these signs communicating royal or imperial authority differently, addressing diverse regional and social audiences. From the fifth through the ninth centuries, the early medieval signum of a ruler gradually transformed from the individualizing sign of a particular monarch, designed to differentiate him symbolically from other rulers, to the generalizing sign of the king by the grace of God, which as a visual attribute of authority could be shared by several rulers. This transformation signified the inauguration of a new ,medieval' tradition in the communication of authority in late Carolingian times. [source] Modelling Product Innovation Processes, from Linear Logic to Circular ChaosCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2003Jan Buijs Product innovation is the focal point of the Delft Design School in the Netherlands. During its more than thirty years of existence different models of the product innovation process were and are used for education and for research. This paper will describe the development of these models. The first models tried to describe the product innovation process in a logical linear order, but recently this logical order has come under discussion. The most recent models try to show the more chaotic character of the product innovation processes in real corporate life. Although this chaotic model better reflects the product innovation practice, for educational purposes it seems to be less useful than the original logical ones. For our teaching we propose the two versions (logic and chaos) of our innovation model as two sides of one coin. This innovation coin is without proper value with one side left blank. [source] The lay subsidies and the distribution of wealth in medieval England, 1275,1334ECONOMIC HISTORY REVIEW, Issue 1 2004Pamela Nightingale This article examines the evidence that between 1275 and 1334 the lay subsidies provide a yardstick with which to measure the English economy. It compares their evidence with the chronological and geographical pattern of wealth obtainable from the Statute Merchant records of debt and concludes that the main discrepancies can be explained by the progressive exclusion from the tax valuations of wool, coin, and credit. Accordingly, from c. 1300 the lay subsidies cannot be used as a guide to the distribution of wealth in England and they can offer only a limited comparison with the wealth revealed by the Tudor subsidies. [source] New insights into the pathophysiology of diabetic nephropathy: from haemodynamics to molecular pathologyEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION, Issue 12 2004G. Wolf Abstract Although debated for many years whether haemodynamic or structural changes are more important in the development of diabetic nephropathy, it is now clear that these processes are interwoven and present two sides of one coin. On a molecular level, hyperglycaemia and proteins altered by high blood glucose such as Amadori products and advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) are key players in the development of diabetic nephropathy. Recent evidence suggests that an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation induced by high glucose-mediated activation of the mitochondrial electron-transport chain is an early event in the development of diabetic complications. A variety of growth factors and cytokines are then induced through complex signal transduction pathways involving protein kinase C, mitogen-activated protein kinases, and the transcription factor NF-,B. High glucose, AGEs, and ROS act in concert to induce growth factors and cytokines. Particularly, TGF-, is important in the development of renal hypertrophy and accumulation of extracellular matrix components. Activation of the renin-angiotensin system by high glucose, mechanical stress, and proteinuria with an increase in local formation of angiotensin II (ANG II) causes many of the pathophysiological changes associated with diabetic nephropathy. In fact, it has been shown that angiotensin II is involved in almost every pathophysiological process implicated in the development of diabetic nephropathy (haemodynamic changes, hypertrophy, extracellular matrix accumulation, growth factor/cytokine induction, ROS formation, podocyte damage, proteinuria, interstitial inflammation). Consequently, blocking these deleterious effects of ANG II is an essential part of every therapeutic regiment to prevent and treat diabetic nephropathy. Recent evidence suggests that regression of diabetic nephropathy could be achieved under certain circumstances. [source] Competences for Learning to Learn and Active Citizenship: different currencies or two sides of the same coin?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATION, Issue 1 2010BRYONY HOSKINS In the context of the European Union Framework of Key Competences and the need to develop indicators for European Union member states to measure progress made towards the ,knowledge economy' and ,greater social cohesion' both the learning to learn and the active citizenship competences have been highlighted. However, what have yet to be discussed are the links and the overlaps between these two competences. Based on the development of research projects on these two fields, this article will compare the two sets of competences, both qualitatively and quantitatively. It will describe how the values and dispositions that motivate and inform active citizenship and learning to learn are related to each other, both empirically and theoretically. Both these competences are tools for empowering individuals and giving them the motivation and autonomy to control their own lives beyond the social circumstances in which they find themselves. In the case of active citizenship, the ability to be able to participate in society and voice their concerns, ensure their rights and the rights of others. In the case of learning to learn to be able to participate in work and everyday life by being empowered to learn and update the constantly changing competences required to successfully manage your life plans. When measuring both these competences then certain values relating positively towards democracy and human rights are common in their development. [source] Maurice Ravel and right-hemisphere musical creativity: influence of disease on his last musical works?EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, Issue 1 2002L. Amaducci The problem of finding correspondence between a particular neuronal organization and a specific function of the human brain remains a central question of neuroscience. It is sometimes thought that language and music are two sides of the same intellectual coin, but research on brain-damaged patients has shown that the loss of verbal functions (aphasia) is not necessarily accompanied by a loss of musical abilities (amusia). Amusia without aphasia has also been described. This double dissociation indicates functional autonomy in these mental processes. Yet verbal and musical impairments often occur together. The global picture that emerges from studies of music and its neural substrate is by no means clear and much depends on which subjects and which aspect of musical abilities are investigated. An illustration of these concepts is provided by the case of the French composer Maurice Ravel, who suffered from a progressive cerebral disease of uncertain aetiology, with prominent involvement of the left hemisphere. As a result, Ravel experienced aphasia and apraxia and became unable to compose. The available facts favour a clinical diagnosis of primary progressive aphasia (PPA), with the possibility of an overlap with corticobasal degeneration (CBD). In view of Ravel's clinical history, we propose that two of his final compositions, the Bolero and the Concerto for the Left Hand, include certain patterns characteristic of right-hemisphere musical abilities and may show the influence of disease on the creative process. [source] Engraving of a Pd77.5Cu6Si16.5 Bulk Metallic Glass,ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS, Issue 6 2007G. Fiore A bulk cylinder, 2 mm in diameter, of Pd77.5Cu6Si16.5 amorphous alloys has been obtained by copper moulding. Slices of the sample have been engraved in the undercooled liquid regime just above the glass transition reproducing details of a 5 Euro cent coin by suitably choosing the annealing procedure. The samples remained glassy after processing. [source] Caspases and T lymphocytes: a flip of the coin?IMMUNOLOGICAL REVIEWS, Issue 1 2003Saquib Lakhani Summary:, In this review, we consider the role caspases play in cell death downstream of death receptors and cell intrinsic death mechanisms. In particular, we focus on these mechanisms in antigen-induced cell death, a mechanism which regulates the number of surviving T cells at the end of an immune response. The relative role of the apoptosome as an amplifier rather than an initiator of apoptosis is considered. Several factors that regulate the susceptibility to activation-induced cell death are considered. These factors emanate from the stimulation of the T-cell receptors and include multiple pathways. Recent work has shown that death receptor signaling can play an interesting role in cell proliferation in both humans and animals. These recent findings are discussed in the light of models of death receptor signaling. [source] The threat of corporate groups and the insolvency connectionINTERNATIONAL INSOLVENCY REVIEW, Issue 3 2009Alexander Dähnert, Article first published online: 27 OCT 200 This paper attempts to shed some light on the issue referred to by the term ,group threat'. The factual appearance of corporate groups will be emphasized, as well as the question of what particular dangers arise from groups of legal entities. It will be argued that the source of group threats lies in the supremacy of group interest over the interests of affiliates, particularly in groups acting as a single unit. However, while efficiency gains inherent in group structures have attracted considerable attention in the debate about the insolvencies of corporate groups, the aspect of how the restriction of group threats can be reconciled with these efficiency-preservation concepts has been neglected. This appears of some concern given the fact that group threats and group synergy effects are part of the same coin. Both sides of the Janus-head ought to be considered in insolvency concepts and an attempt will be made to put the specific aspect of group threats into the wider context of group insolvencies. Existing approaches will be introduced, summarized and categorized, with a particular view taken of their common characteristics. It is argued that most insolvency concepts suffer from the same fundamental deficiencies: the focus on the structure of groups, which makes the very nature of integrated companies difficult to grasp. Consequently, this calls into question the application of these concepts and leads, furthermore, to significant collateral damage in the shape of principles central to company law. Resulting from these shortcomings and from the insight that the supremacy of the group interest constitutes the fundamental source of group characteristics, this paper suggests as an alternative that the focus be placed on wrongful conduct, the argument being that it is not the static structure, but the way the group is directed and ruled, which constitutes the decisive criterion for insolvency concepts. The understanding of group threats is therefore the key to a satisfactory approach to group specific challenges in insolvency. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Leflunomide in subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus , two sides of a coinINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Anke Suess MD Background, Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), a distinct clinical subset of lupus erythematosus, remains a therapeutic challenge, especially in cases resistant to topical and standard systemic therapy. Leflunomide, a novel antirheumatic drug, has shown efficacy in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus in pilot studies. Methods, We report two patients with SCLE who demonstrated the spectrum of possible clinical responses to leflunomide therapy. Results, One patient experienced a complete clinical remission of symptoms, whereas the other developed a massive skin reaction which was distinctly related to the commencement of leflunomide therapy. Conclusion, To our knowledge, this is the first time that remission and deterioration of SCLE by leflunomide therapy have been described. [source] Three sides of the same coin: measuring global cognitive impairment with the MMSE, ADAS-cog and CAMCOGINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 8 2010Hans Wouters Abstract Objective The total scores of the ADAS-cog, MMSE and CAMCOG, comprising various cognitive tasks, are widely used to measure a dimension of global cognitive impairment. It is unknown, however, whether this dimension is common to these instruments. This hampers comparisons when either of these instruments is used. The extent to which these instruments share a common dimension of global cognitive impairment and how their scores relate was examined. Methods Rasch analysis of CAMCOG and MMSE data of participants from a population based study and two memory clinics pooled with ADAS-cog and MMSE data of participants from three RCTs (overall N,=,1566) to estimate a common dimension of global cognitive impairment and to examine the goodness of fit of the individual items to this dimension. Results Using the estimated common dimension of global cognitive impairment, the total scores of the instruments could be related, e.g. a mean level of global cognitive impairment corresponded to a predicted score of 11.4 (ADAS-cog), 72.6 (CAMCOG) and 22.2 (MMSE). When revised according to The Rasch validity analyses, every individual item could be fitted to the dimension. Conclusions The MMSE, ADAS-cog and CAMCOG reflect a valid common dimension of global cognitive impairment, which enables comparisons of RCTs that use the ADAS-cog and observational studies that use the CAMCOG and MMSE. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Migration, Displacement, and Violence: Prosecuting Romanian Street Children at the Paris Palace of JusticeINTERNATIONAL MIGRATION, Issue 5 2004Susan J. Terrio This paper examines the displacement and vulnerability associated with the migration of unaccompanied illegal Romanian minors who came as economic migrants to Western Europe, found no legal opportunities for work or education, and were forced into criminal activity on the streets of French cities such as Paris, Lyon, and Nice. Beginning in 1997 growing numbers of unaccompanied Romanians, mostly boys, some as young as age ten, many younger than age 15, were subject to systematic prosecution rather than protection in Paris, the site of the largest and most influential juvenile court in the nation. They were arrested, detained, indicted, released pending trial, judged, and sentenced in absentia, multiple times with different identities. The Romanian minors were caught without legal papers or visas, claimed to be squatters living in abandoned buildings, trailers, or camps outside Paris, and gave little reliable information about their families or lives. Initially arrested for the destruction of city property and the theft of the proceeds from city parking meters, they gradually turned to begging, shoplifting, and prostitution when the city switched from coin to card payment. Deeply concerned by the penalization of a vulnerable population, the president of the Paris juvenile court created a special court to deal more humanely with unaccompanied minors in general, and Romanian children in particular, by establishing their identities and reconnecting them with their families. This article explores the contradictions that emerged between the representation of Romanian children in the media, the legal establishment, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the Government, on the one hand, and their treatment in the juvenile justice system, on the other. It examines the discourse and the context of judging as well as the interactions between court personnel and Romanian minors from in-take interviews in jail and indictment hearings in chambers to judgment in absentia in the formal court. It compares and contrasts cases heard before and after the creation of the special court and centres on the gaps between official rhetoric, legal norms, and judicial practice. It concludes that the creation of the special court may be having the unintended effect of reinforcing and institutionalizing the very judicial practice it was designed to prevent, namely the penalization of marginality. [source] INTEGRATING RISK MANAGEMENT AND CAPITAL MANAGEMENTJOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 4 2002Prakash Shimpi Capital management and risk management are two sides of the same coin. But by treating them separately, the conventional theory and practice of corporate finance fails to account for important connections between them. Moreover, an exclusive focus on debt and equity ignores the full range of capital resources available to a corporation, thus distorting management's view of the firm's cost of capital (and its return on equity). An understanding of the role of corporate capital,including off-balance sheet as well as paid-up capital,and its relationship to the riskiness of a firm's activities provides the foundation on which the author builds a corporate finance framework that ties together both the insurance and capital markets. This framework, called the "Insurative Model," captures the economics of both conventional insurance and corporate finance instruments and embraces a wide variety of solutions and instruments,be they debt, equity, insurance, derivative, contingent capital, or any other,and allows managers to evaluate their effectiveness in a consistent, unified way. The Insurative Model demonstrates that a company's decisions on insurance and risk retention can be just as important as its decisions about its debt-equity mix. In fact, the determination of a firm's optimal debt-equity ratio should be the last in a series of capital and risk management decisions. Earlier decisions should address risk retention, risk transfer, and the optimal amounts and structure of off-balance-sheet capital used to support the company's retained risks. [source] Toward a community-oriented action research framework for spirituality: Community psychological and theological perspectivesJOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2001Paul R. Dokecki Spirituality, once an old and honorable religious term for the "exploration into what is involved in becoming human" (McFague, 1997, p. 10), is ubiquitous in contemporary culture, albeit highly diverse and ambiguous in its usage. In our active interchange involving two community psychologists and a theologian,carried on in the spirit of Lewinian action research and pastoral theology's method of congregational studies, we have returned to that earlier tradition. We are developing a framework for spirituality encompassing human development and community development as two sides of the same coin. The framework provides a community-oriented theoretical account of the dynamics of spirituality and a foundation for action research on the interrelationship of spirituality and community. We begin by describing the context for the development of the framework,the St. Robert project, a participant,observer action research and consultation project ongoing for more than ten years in a Roman Catholic parish. We then present the framework's elements and conclude by outlining an ongoing empirical inquiry at St. Robert into the nature of spirituality, which has implications for the field's address to the spiritual dimensions of personal and community experience, especially psychological sense of community. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Factor XI deficiency in animal modelsJOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS, Issue 2009T. RENNÉ Summary., The blood coagulation system forms fibrin to limit blood loss from sites of injury, but also contributes to occlusive diseases such as deep vein thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke. In the current model of a coagulation balance, normal hemostasis and thrombosis represent two sides of the same coin; however, data from coagulation factor XI-deficient animal models have challenged this dogma. Gene targeting of factor XI, a serine protease of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation, severely impairs arterial thrombus formation but is not associated with excessive bleeding. Mechanistically, factor XI may be activated by factor XII following contact activation or by thrombin in a feedback activation loop. This review focuses on the role of factor XI, and its deficiency states as novel target for prevention of thrombosis with low bleeding risk in animal models. [source] Hypercholesterolemia and inflammation in atherogenesis: Two sides of the same coinMOLECULAR NUTRITION & FOOD RESEARCH (FORMERLY NAHRUNG/FOOD), Issue 11 2005Daniel SteinbergArticle first published online: 3 NOV 200 Abstract An abundance of experimental, clinical, and epidemiologic data capped by stunning interventional results with the statins has established hypercholesterolemia as a major causative factor in atherogenesis. In familial hypercholesterolemia and in animal models it is a sufficient cause. Some degree of hypercholesterolemia, perhaps 30,50 mg/dL, may even be a necessary cause. It is equally clear that from the very beginning atherogenesis has a strong inflammatory component, i. e., it is characterized by penetration of monocytes and of T-cells into the developing lesion. These cells, through the secretion of cytokines and growth factors, through immune responses, and through complex cross-talk with elements of the artery wall modulate the growth of the lesion and affect its stability. But inflammation has to occur in response to something. What is that something? What is the "injury" in "response-to-injury"? The case will be made that oxidized lipids in oxidized LDL or generated in response to prooxidative changes in the cells of the artery wall should be considered a plausible candidate. There is no need to consider hypercholesterolemia and inflammation as alternative hypotheses. Both are very much involved. Optimal intervention and prevention will probably require attention to both. [source] Oral mucosal dendritic cells and periodontitis: many sides of the same coin with new twistsPERIODONTOLOGY 2000, Issue 1 2007Christopher W. Cutler First page of article [source] Comparing low frequency heart rate variability and preejection period: Two sides of a different coinPSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008Annebet D. Goedhart Abstract It has been hypothesized that the ratio of heart rate variability in the low- (LF) and high- (HF) frequency bands may capture variation in cardiac sympathetic control. Here we tested the temporal stability of the LF/HF ratio in 24-h ambulatory recordings and compared this ratio to the preejection period (PEP), an established measure of cardiac sympathetic control. Good temporal stability was found across a period of 3.3 years (.46 Coin flipping from a cosmic source: On error correction of truly random bitsRANDOM STRUCTURES AND ALGORITHMS, Issue 4 2005Elchanan Mossel We study a problem related to coin flipping, coding theory, and noise sensitivity. Consider a source of truly random bits x , {0, 1}n, and k parties, who have noisy version of the source bits yi , {0, 1}n, when for all i and j, it holds that P[y = xj] = 1 , ,, independently for all i and j. That is, each party sees each bit correctly with probability 1 , ,, and incorrectly (flipped) with probability ,, independently for all bits and all parties. The parties, who cannot communicate, wish to agree beforehand on balanced functions fi: {0, 1}n , {0, 1} such that P[f1(y1) = , = fk(yk)] is maximized. In other words, each party wants to toss a fair coin so that the probability that all parties have the same coin is maximized. The function fi may be thought of as an error correcting procedure for the source x. When k = 2,3, no error correction is possible, as the optimal protocol is given by fi(yi) = y. On the other hand, for large values of k, better protocols exist. We study general properties of the optimal protocols and the asymptotic behavior of the problem with respect to k, n, and ,. Our analysis uses tools from probability, discrete Fourier analysis, convexity, and discrete symmetrization. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2005 [source]
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