This study investigates strategic voting for small parties in proportional representation systems, in previous work sometimes referred to as threshold insurance voting (Cox, 1997). Starting from theories of rational voting (Downs, 1957), three conditions for threshold insurance voting are developed: the voter considers potential government outcomes, votes for a party at risk of falling below an el

Three new species of Achrysocharoides are described, one from northern Europe, A. platanoidae sp. nov., one from central Europe and the U. S. A., A. robiniae sp. nov., and one from the U. S. A., A. robinicolus sp. nov. The descriptions are based on material reared from microlepidopterans of the genus Phyllonorycter Hubner (Gracillariidae): A. platanoidae from P. platanoidella (Joannis) on Acer pla

A search for new phenomena in LHC proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of root s = 8 TeV was performed with the ATLAS detector using an integrated luminosity of 17.3 fb(-1). The angular distributions are studied in events with at least two jets; the highest dijet mass observed is 5.5 TeV. All angular distributions are consistent with the predictions of the standard model. In a bench

CandidatusNeoehrlichia mikurensis is the tick-borne agent of neoehrlichiosis, an infectious disease that primarily affects immunocompromised patients. So far, the genetic variability of Neoehrlichia has been studied only by comparing 16S rRNA gene and groEL operon sequences. We describe the development and use of a multi-locus sequence analysis (MLSA) protocol to characterize the genetic diversity

Objective: Synovitis is thought to be a secondary phenomenon in the osteoarthritis (OA) process and the menisci might be triggers of localized synovitis. The aim was to assess the cross-sectional associations of posterior horn meniscal damage with perimeniscal synovitis, and with synovitis posterior to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) using contrast enhanced (CE) MRI. Design: The Multicenter

We demonstrate that a Ni-Mn oxide partially inverted spinel (Ni1-pMnv)[NivMn2-v]O-4 having inversion degree v approximate to 0.8 and produced by a modified polymeric precursor method exhibits behaviour previously reported only in monophased samples. The structure of the specimen was determined using Rietveld analysis of X-ray and neutron powder diffraction data, showing that at room temperature th

Background: Depressive personality is commonly seen in clinical practice, and today only one exclusive self-report instrument-the Depressive Personality Disorder Inventory (DPDI)-is available for its assessment based on the DSM-IV description of the construct. Aims: The purpose of this research was to evaluate a Swedish version of this measure (DPDI-Swe) in terms of its reliability, internal struc

The adsorption from mixed polyelectrolyte-surfactant solutions at hydrophobized silica surfaces was investigated by in situ null-ellipsometry, and compared to similar measurements for hydrophilic silica surfaces. Three synthetic cationic copolymers of varying hydrophobicity and one cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose were compared in mixtures with the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) in

In the wake of the Cold War, democracy has gained the status of a mantra. Yet there is no consensus about how to conceptualize and measure regimes such that meaningful comparisons can be made through time and across countries. In this prescriptive article, we argue for a new approach to conceptualization and measurement. We first review some of the weaknesses among traditional approaches. We then

Pseudopotentials, tight-binding models, and k p theory have stood for many years as the standard techniques for computing electronic states in crystalline solids. Here, we present the first new method in decades, which we call atomistic k . p theory. In its usual formulation, k . p theory has the advantage of depending on parameters that are directly related to experimentally measured quantities,

We upscaled FLUXNET observations of carbon dioxide, water, and energy fluxes to the global scale using the machine learning technique, model tree ensembles (MTE). We trained MTE to predict site-level gross primary productivity (GPP), terrestrial ecosystem respiration (TER), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), latent energy (LE), and sensible heat (H) based on remote sensing indices, climate and meteorol

The European Randomised study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC) has shown significant reductions in prostate cancer mortality after 9 years and 11 years of follow-up, but screening is controversial because of adverse events such as overdiagnosis. We provide updated results of mortality from prostate cancer with follow-up to 2010, with analyses truncated at 9, 11, and 13 years.

Aims: The neurotransmitter Neuropeptide Y (NPY) was previously reported as a minor autoantigen in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients. The single nucleotide polymorphism at rs16139 (T1128C, L7P) in the NPY gene was associated with an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). We aimed to develop a radiobinding assay for NPY-L (Leucine) and NPY-P (Proline) autoantibodie

We attempt to provide direct evidence for the suggested behavior of dendronized polymers as molecular objects (i.e., single shape persistent macromolecules). For this purpose, the microscopic structure of dendronized polymers adsorbed onto mica has been investigated using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the shape of the second to fourth generation dendronized polymers is bas

This article presents one example of how masculinity and hierarchy are exercised through violence in organizations. It draws on the empirical data of 15 episodes from the US reality television series Hell’s Kitchen, in which 15 cooks compete for the job of Chef in one of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants. Ramsay’s task is to lead the cooks towards a hegemonic masculinity valid in the rest

Identifying the genes that underlie phenotypic variation in natural populations, and assessing the consequences of polymorphisms at these loci for individual fitness are major objectives in evolutionary biology. Yet, with the exception of a few success stories, little progress has been made, and our understanding of the link between genotype and phenotype is still in its infancy. For example, alth

Background: Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is released in response to inflammatory stimuli, and plasma levels are associated with long-term outcomes. The ischemia/reperfusion injury caused by cardiac arrest (CA) and resuscitation triggers an inflammatory response. This pilot study aimed at investigating suPAR levels in relation to outcome after CA and mild induced hypothe

Several animal studies indicate that mercury is a male reproductive toxicant, but human studies are few and contradictory. We examined semen characteristics and serum levels of reproductive hormones in relation to environmental exposure to mercury. Blood and semen samples were collected from 529 male partners of pregnant women living in Greenland, Poland and Ukraine between May 2002 and February 2