The Transition from German to English in the Missouri Synod from 1910-1947

One of the features that marks the Missouri Synod is the fact that for a long period of time it has been able to retain the German language. For years it has held to the German language as a defense against liberalism and rationalism

A Lower Bound Result for the Common Element Problem and Its Implication for Reflexive Reasoning

In this paper we prove a lower bound of Ω(n log n) for the common element problem on two sets of size n each. Two interesting consequences of this lower bound are also discussed. In particular, we show that linear space neural network models that admit unbalanced rules cannot draw all inferences in time independent of the knowledge base size. We also show that the join operation in data base applications needs Ω(log n) time given only n processors

Automated Code Generation for Industrial-Strength Systems

Model-driven engineering proposes to develop software systems by first creating an executable model of the system design and then transforming this model into an implementation. This paper discusses the design of an automatic code generation system that transforms such models into product implementations for highly reliable, industrial-strength systems. It provides insights, practical considerations, and lessons learned when developing code generators for applications that must conform to the constraints imposed by real-world, high-performance systems. Automatic code generation has played a large part in dramatically increasing both the quality and the reliability of software for these systems

A Value-Belief-Norm Theory of Support for Social Movements: The Case of Environmentalism

We present a theory of the basis of support for a social movement. Three types of support (citizenship actions, policy support and acceptance, and personal-sphere behaviors that accord with movement principles) are empirically distinct from each other and from committed activism. Drawing on theoretical work on values and norm-activation processes, we propose a value-belief-norm (VBN) theory of movement support. Individuals who accept a movement\u27s basic values, believe that valued objects are threatened, and believe that their actions can help restore those values experience an obligation (personal norm) for pro-movement action that creates a predisposition to provide support; the particular type of support that results is dependent on the individual\u27s capabilities and constraints. Data from a national survey of 420 respondents suggest that the VBN theory, when compared with other prevalent theories, offers the best available account of support for the environmental movement

Thermal receptivity of free convective flow from a heated vertical surface: linear waves

Numerical techniques are used to study the receptivity to small-amplitude thermal disturbances of the boundary layer flow of air which is induced by a heated vertical flat plate. The fully elliptic nonlinear, time-dependent Navier–Stokes and energy equations are first solved to determine the steady state boundary-layer flow, while a linearised version of the same code is used to determine the stability characteristics. In particular we investigate (i) the ultimate fate of a localised thermal disturbance placed in the region near the leading edge and (ii) the effect of small-scale surface temperature oscillations as means of understanding the stability characteristics of the boundary layer. We show that there is a favoured frequency of excitation for the time-periodic disturbance which maximises the local response in terms of the local rate of heat transfer. However the magnitude of the favoured frequency depends on precisely how far from the leading edge the local response is measured. We also find that the instability is advective in nature and that the response of the boundary layer consists of a starting transient which eventually leaves the computational domain, leaving behind the large-time time-periodic asymptotic state. Our detailed numerical results are compared with those obtained using parallel flow theory

Can billiard eigenstates be approximated by superpositions of plane waves?

The plane wave decomposition method (PWDM) is one of the most popular strategies for numerical solution of the quantum billiard problem. The method is based on the assumption that each eigenstate in a billiard can be approximated by a superposition of plane waves at a given energy. By the classical results on the theory of differential operators this can indeed be justified for billiards in convex domains. On the contrary, in the present work we demonstrate that eigenstates of non-convex billiards, in general, cannot be approximated by any solution of the Helmholtz equation regular everywhere in $\R^2$ (in particular, by linear combinations of a finite number of plane waves having the same energy). From this we infer that PWDM cannot be applied to billiards in non-convex domains. Furthermore, it follows from our results that unlike the properties of integrable billiards, where each eigenstate can be extended into the billiard exterior as a regular solution of the Helmholtz equation, the eigenstates of non-convex billiards, in general, do not admit such an extension.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figure

The behavioural wedge

When nations fail to agree, can individual citizens make a difference? The third of our post-Copenhagen features is by Jonathan Gilligan, Thomas Dietz, Gerald T. Gardner, Paul C. Stern , and Michael P. Vandenbergh . They look at the effects that voluntary actions by individuals can have, and at the policies that can best encourage such actions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79202/1/j.1740-9713.2010.00405.x.pd

Subjective health status and health-related quality of life among women with Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidosis (RVVC) in Europe and the USA

Abstract Background Recurrent vulvovaginal candidosis (RVVC) is a chronic condition causing discomfort and pain. Health status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in RVVC were never previously described using validated questionnaires. The objective of this study is to describe subjective health status and HRQoL and estimate health state utilities among women with RVVC. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among women who reported having suffered four or more yeast infections over the past 12 months, in five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) and the USA. Index scores were derived from the EQ-5D, a questionnaire providing a single index value for health status. The SF-36 questionnaire was used for HRQoL assessment. Information on disease severity, treatment patterns and productivity was also collected. Results 12,834 members of online research panels were contacted. Among them, 620 women with RVVC (5%) were selected to complete the full questionnaire. The mean EQ-5D index score was 0.70 (95% confidence interval: [0.67, 0.72]) and the difference between women with a yeast infection at the time of questionnaire completion and other respondents was 0.05 (p = 0.47). The EQ-5D index score increased significantly with the time since last infection (p \u3c 0.001). 68% of women reported depression/anxiety problems during acute episode, and 54% outside episodes, compared to less than 20% in general population (p \u3c 0.001). All SF-36 domain scores were significantly below general population norms. Mental health domains were the most affected. The impact on productivity was estimated at 33 lost work hours per year on average, corresponding to estimated costs between €266/year and €1,130/year depending on the country. Conclusions Subjective health status and HRQoL during and in between acute inflammatory episodes in women with RVVC are significantly worse than in the general population, despite the use of antifungal therapy. The average index score in women with RVVC is comparable to other diseases such as asthma or COPD and worse than diseases such as headache/migraine according to US and UK catalogs of index scores. The survey also revealed a significant loss of productivity associated with RVVC

Energy and Climate Change: Key Lessons for Implementing the Behavioral Wedge

The individual and household sector accounts for roughly 40 percent of United States energy use and carbon dioxide emissions, yet the laws and policies directed at reductions from this sector often reflect a remarkably simplistic model of behavior. This Essay addresses one of the obstacles to achieving a “behavioral wedge” of individual and household emissions reductions: the lack of an accessible, brief summary for policymakers of the key findings of behavioral and social science studies on household energy behavior. The Essay does not provide a comprehensive overview of the field, but it discusses many of the leading studies that demonstrate the extent and limits of rational action. These studies can inform lawyers and policymakers who are developing measures to reduce energy use and carbon emissions and can serve as an entry point for more detailed studies of the literature. An effective response to the climate change problem will require substantial reductions in energy demand in addition to new developments in low-carbon energy supplies. The individual and household sector presents a major opportunity: the sector accounts for roughly 40% of U.S. carbon emissions and a comparable percentage of total U.S. energy production, and it is one of the most promising areas for reducing emissions. A recent analysis estimates that behavioral measures directed at this sector could reasonably be expected to reduce total US emissions by over 7% by 2020, an amount larger than the combined emissions from several of the largest-emitting industrial sectors and larger than the total emissions of France. In many cases, these emissions reductions can be achieved at less cost than the leading alternatives. Despite this opportunity, recent regulatory and policy efforts are only beginning to direct substantial attention to the individual and household sector. Findings from the social sciences provide valuable insights into how to capitalize on this opportunity, yet policymakers often have little time to develop new polices and are confronted with a barrage of often-conflicting approaches and theories. This Essay addresses the policy-making challenge by distilling the findings from a broad range of fields into several key principles for those developing energy and climate laws and policies. The principles we outline here are a starting point for policymakers working in this area. We attempt to provide insight into which principles are most relevant to law and policy, but instructions as to how to incorporate these principles are beyond the scope of this essay. The principles include only a subset of the insights from the behavioral and social science literature. In many cases, adherence to multiple principles will be necessary to develop the most effective policy design. Policymakers should consult the body of work referenced here, as well as experts in the social sciences to further their understanding of these and other principles. More extensive reviews of this literature and its relevance to energy and climate policy are also available

Hormone therapy in relation to survival from large bowel cancer.

Epidemiologic studies of hormone therapy (HT) and colorectal cancer incidence consistently show an inverse association; however, few studies have considered prediagnostic use of HT on mortality among colorectal cancer patients. We evaluated the relationship of HT and survival among a population-based cohort of women with large bowel cancer. Cases (n = 1,297) were newly diagnosed with invasive cancer of the colon or rectum, aged 40-74 years at diagnosis, who were identified by Wisconsin's statewide registry (1988-1991; 1997-2001) for two case-control studies. Information on HT use and other colorectal cancer risk factors was collected by standardized interview. There were 507 deaths (274 of these attributable to colorectal cancer) over 8.4 years of follow-up through December 2005. Hormone use was not associated with colorectal cancer mortality (adjusted hazard rate ratio = 1.09, confidence interval = 0.81-1.47). Colorectal cancer specific mortality was not associated with HT when considered separately by preparation type. Stage did not modify this relationship. Long-term HT was weakly positively associated with increased mortality after diagnosis of proximal colon, but not distal colon cancer. Because we detected no differences in survival among users of HT compared to non-users, the results suggest that HT use may affect only the incidence of some colorectal tumors