A Comparison Between Certain Piagetian Logical Thinking Tasks And The Subtraction Ability Of First-Grade, Second-Grade, And Third-Grade Children.

This investigation was conducted to explore the comparison between first, second, and third grade children’s ability to subtract and their ability to think logically as measured by conversation of numerical quantities, seriation, and quantitative class inclusion tasks

Integration of a priori gene set information into genome-wide association studies

In genome-wide association studies (GWAS) genetic markers are often ranked to select genes for further pursuit. Especially for moderately associated and interrelated genes, information on genes and pathways may improve the selection. We applied and combined two main approaches for data integration to a GWAS for rheumatoid arthritis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and hierarchical Bayes prioritization (HBP). Many associated genes are located in the HLA region on 6p21. However, the ranking lists of genes and gene sets differ considerably depending on the chosen approach: HBP changes the ranking only slightly and primarily contains HLA genes in the top 100 gene lists. GSEA includes also many non-HLA genes

Case-control studies with affected sibships

Related cases may be included in case-control association studies if correlations between related individuals due to identity-by-descent (IBD) sharing are taken into account. We derived a framework to test for association in a case-control design including affected sibships and unrelated controls. First, a corrected variance for the allele frequency difference between cases and controls was directly calculated or estimated in two ways on the basis of the fixation index FST and the inbreeding coefficient. Then the correlation-corrected association test including controls and affected sibs was carried out. We applied the three strategies to 20 candidate genes on the Genetic Analysis Workshop 15 rheumatoid arthritis data and to 9187 single-nucleotide polymorphisms of replicate one of the Genetic Analysis Workshop 15 simulated data with knowledge of the "answers". The three strategies used to correct for correlation give only minor differences in the variance estimates and yield an almost correct type I error rate for the association tests. Thus, all strategies considered to correct the variance performed quite well

Micro Entrepreneurship in Rural Vietnam. A Multilevel Analysis of Business Start-Up and Closure

Since the beginning of the economic renewal process (Doi Moi) in 1986, Vietnam has undergone a process of economic growth, which has led to a significant reduction in poverty. This positive development process, however, focuses mainly on the urban centers with Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south of the country. In contrast to the urban centers, rural areas have developed less dynamically. As a result, regional disparities within the country, particularly between rural and urban regions, have increased over time. In order to reduce the growing disparities, the Vietnamese government is trying to initiate potential for regional development in rural areas. In this context, micro entrepreneurship is considered to play a significant role in the economic development of rural areas as well as in the reduction of the vulnerability to poverty of rural households. The aim of this dissertation is to empirically analyze the regional economic conditions under which participation in micro entrepreneurship reduces the vulnerability to poverty of rural households. In addition, this dissertation aims to determine the impact of spatial factors on the start-up and closure of micro enterprises. For the empirical analyses a panel data set is used, which was collected in three provinces in rural Vietnam (Dak Lak, Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Tinh) in the course of the DFG Research Unit FOR 756 from 2007 to 2013. The empirical findings show that micro entrepreneurship contributes significantly to reducing the vulnerability to poverty of rural households, but only if they are located in a regional economic environment characterized by proximity to markets, good infrastructural conditions and an advanced stage of structural change. In economically less well developed regions, micro entrepreneurship is not sufficient to reduce the vulnerability to poverty of rural households. In such regions, what matters more is that micro entrepreneurship is driven by opportunity and not by necessity. In highly agricultural and peripheral regions, micro entrepreneurship does not reduce the vulnerability to poverty of rural households, irrespective of the motivation. In addition, the empirical results show that both the start-up and the closure of micro enterprises are influenced by spatial factors to a significant degree. In this respect, local market potentials, the presence of state-owned enterprises, access to regional markets and credit institutions, as well as a prospering regional economy are important factors

Online-Content-Mining für die Kreuzfahrtindustrie : ein Modell für die Technologieanpassung und Technologieakzeptanz

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Untersuchungen zur Expression des humanen C3a-Rezeptors

[no abstract

To the Ends of the Earth: A Manual for Short-Term Mission Trips

The purpose of this paper with the attached training manual is to produce a consistent training format for Resurrection Lutheran Church‘s mission teams that provides for an individual‘s transformation, grows cohesive groups, and develops the congregation as a mission center for sending people into the world. Resurrection Lutheran Church is a medium-sized congregation affiliated with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS). It was established in the North Houston area in 1971. Sending teams on international trips has become an important part of this congregation‘s overall corporate mission. This paper will contain three major parts. In order to present an understanding of the impact of Resurrection Lutheran‘s mission trips, the first section will explore the culture of the congregation and its denomination. It will examine both the history and values present in the Lutheran faith and investigate the transition to mobilizing disciples to become missionaries at home as a result of their involvement in a short-term mission experience. Also, it will present the biblical-theological foundation for the mission trips themselves. The second section will address three areas. It will discuss outcomes of the preparation and training. It will outline the goals of the training manual for both the leaders and the participants on the mission trips. It will set forth the pedagogy upon which the training manual experience has been created and discuss the style and the learning techniques that are encompassed within its various sections. The third section contains the training manual. It will be presented in two main segments. Ultimately, it provides a foundation for understanding God at work in the world, God at work in missions, and God at work in the lives of the individuals on the teams. It is hoped that this manual also will impact other congregations who wish to do similar mission work. Content Reader: David Luecke, Ph

Micro Entrepreneurship in Rural Vietnam. A Multilevel Analysis of Business Start-Up and Closure

Since the beginning of the economic renewal process (Doi Moi) in 1986, Vietnam has undergone a process of economic growth, which has led to a significant reduction in poverty. This positive development process, however, focuses mainly on the urban centers with Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south of the country. In contrast to the urban centers, rural areas have developed less dynamically. As a result, regional disparities within the country, particularly between rural and urban regions, have increased over time. In order to reduce the growing disparities, the Vietnamese government is trying to initiate potential for regional development in rural areas. In this context, micro entrepreneurship is considered to play a significant role in the economic development of rural areas as well as in the reduction of the vulnerability to poverty of rural households. The aim of this dissertation is to empirically analyze the regional economic conditions under which participation in micro entrepreneurship reduces the vulnerability to poverty of rural households. In addition, this dissertation aims to determine the impact of spatial factors on the start-up and closure of micro enterprises. For the empirical analyses a panel data set is used, which was collected in three provinces in rural Vietnam (Dak Lak, Thua Thien-Hue, Ha Tinh) in the course of the DFG Research Unit FOR 756 from 2007 to 2013. The empirical findings show that micro entrepreneurship contributes significantly to reducing the vulnerability to poverty of rural households, but only if they are located in a regional economic environment characterized by proximity to markets, good infrastructural conditions and an advanced stage of structural change. In economically less well developed regions, micro entrepreneurship is not sufficient to reduce the vulnerability to poverty of rural households. In such regions, what matters more is that micro entrepreneurship is driven by opportunity and not by necessity. In highly agricultural and peripheral regions, micro entrepreneurship does not reduce the vulnerability to poverty of rural households, irrespective of the motivation. In addition, the empirical results show that both the start-up and the closure of micro enterprises are influenced by spatial factors to a significant degree. In this respect, local market potentials, the presence of state-owned enterprises, access to regional markets and credit institutions, as well as a prospering regional economy are important factors