Journal articles on the topic 'Providence Company'

This article outlines how the resistance and identity of the island of Providence, in Colombia, is reflected through literature and film. It discusses how decoloniality is a tool to deconstruct the current bonds of coloniality. And to show through art, the history that was not told to us, to dismantle the History of Eurocentric hue where colonizers are privileged and African origin belittled. To this end, we study the work of the writer Hazel Robinson, the feature film Keyla by Viviana Gómez Echeverry, Gloria Triana's documentary Welcome to Old Providence, the documentaries by the production company Blue Lizard: 15 milestones in Providence and Providence Today, and Ana María Jessie Serna’s Fishing Her: Mujeres de Sal.

In August 1927, the Virgin Mary made a surprise appearance in Providence, Rhode Island. Her image mysteriously hovered on the wall of a building on Federal Hill, the city’s central Italian American neighborhood. Streets were filled and businesses disrupted as crowds assembled to regard the phenomenon. When the Narragansett Electric Company removed the bulb from a nearby street lamp, the image disappeared, but thousands of believers continued to assemble nonetheless.TheProvidence Journalfinally sent a reporter to Federal Hill to get to the bottom of the mystery. Several onlookers told the reporter that Mary had appeared in Providence because God was unhappy about the impending execution of Italian radicals Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (Providence Journal[PJ] 10 August 1927).

A Headline in the Daily Telegraph once read: ‘Vicar is “act of God” victim’. The article explained: A vicar has become a victim of an ‘act of God’ after a thunderbolt wrecked his car during a storm. Dennis Ackroyd, vicar of St Luke’s … in Cleckheaton, near Bradford … now faces problems claiming compensation from his insurance company.

This article explores the demise of the Crompton Company, which filed for bankruptcy in October 1984, causing 2,450 workers in five states to lose their jobs. Crompton was founded in 1807 in Providence, Rhode Island and when it went out of business it was the oldest textile firm in the country, having been in continuous operation for 178 years. Despite its history, scholars have overlooked Crompton, partly because most work on deindustrialization has concentrated on heavy manufacturing industries, especially steel and automobiles. I argue that Crompton's demise throws much light on the broader decline of the American textile and apparel industry, which has lost over two million jobs since the mid-1970s, and shows that textiles deserve a more central place in the literature. Using company papers, this study shows that imports played the central role in causing Crompton's decline, although there were also other problems, including the strong dollar, declining exports, and a reluctance to diversify, which contributed to it. The paper also explores broader trends, including the earlier flight of the industry from New England to the South and the industry's unsuccessful campaign to pass import-restriction legislation, a fight in which Crompton's managers were very involved.

In 1773 the director of the VOC factory in Canton, A.F. l'Heureux, requested permission from Gentlemen Seventeen to return home. He was already seventy years old and wrote: ‘It is hard and discouraging for an honest and faithful servant to find that Divine Providence had afflicted him with illnesses incurable in these parts… It is hard and discouraging for such a one to find himself deprived of his reward, perhaps the last reward for all his labour And may there not be other reasons that force us, however unwillingly, to quit these lands and the service of Your Excellencies? Are there no ties with our society, no ties forged by nature, or are we tied wholly and solely to the Company?’!.

This article analyses four accounts of mutinies and wrecks of Dutch East India Company ships: those of the Nieuw Hoorn, Batavia, Blydorp and Nijenburg. These stories can be read as worst-case survival manuals, which support the Company’s discourse of discipline. They advise readers that the best option in the event of disaster is to obey the officers’ orders and the Company’s rules, linking this advice to moral and religious ideas of endurance and divine providence that were common in the Dutch Republic in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The accounts also link shipboard spatial protocols with proper social order. The stories present the Indies as a dangerous physical and moral testing ground, from which the ship provides a vital protective barrier, but only if the crew acts with disciplined solidarity and shows seamanlike virtues of cohesion and perseverance. Disorder among the crew, especially the breaching of spatial boundaries between officers and men, invites the dangers of the Indies to penetrate the safe space of the ship. Such breaches threaten all the boundaries on which the lives of the ship and crew depend: between the ship and the sea, between moral and immoral behaviour, and between Europeans and the non-European world. Where spatial boundaries break down, the stories show chaos and calamity following. Where the stories have ‘happy endings’, these are brought about by the re-establishment of proper spatial and social hierarchies.

Landing at Te Whanganui a Tara in 1840, New Zealand Company settlers lost no time to construct the "England of the South" using familiar building materials of brick, stone, clay and mortar. Within months of settling at Pito-one (Petone), the newly arrived people not only experienced earthquakes, but also flooding of Te Awa kai Rangi (Hutt River). Consequently, the original plan to build the City of Britannia at Pito-one was transferred to Lambton Harbour at Pipitea and Te Aro. The construction of Wellington was severely disrupted by the first visitation occurring on 16 October 1848 when the Awatere fault ruptured releasing an earthquake of Mw 7.8. The earthquake sequence, lasting until October 1849, damaged nearly all masonry buildings in Wellington, including newly constructed Paremata Barracks. This event was soon followed by the 2nd visitation of 23 January 1855. This time it was a rupture of the Wairarapa fault and a huge 8.2 Mw earthquake lasting until 10 October 1855. Perceptions of buildings as "permanent" symbols of progress and English heritage were fundamentally challenged as a result of the earthquakes. Instead, the settlers looked to the survivors – small timber-framed buildings as markers of security and continued occupation. A small number of survivors will be explored in detail – Taylor-Stace Cottage, Porirua, and Homewood, Karori, both buildings of 1847 and both still in existence today. Also the ruins of Paremata Barracks as the only remnant of a masonry structure pre-dating 1848 in the Wellington region. There are also a few survivors of 1855 earthquake including Christ Church, Taita (1854) and St Joseph's Providence Porch, St Mary's College, Thorndon (1852). There are also the post-1855 timber-framed legacies of Old St Paul's Cathedral (1866), Government Buildings (1876) and St Peter's Church (1879). Improved knowledge about the historical evolution of perceptions of heritage in Wellington as a result of past earthquake visitations can help inform public education about heritage values, how to build today and strengthen existing buildings in readiness for future earthquake visitations.

Background:Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disorder which occurs as primary (pSS) or secondary SS (sSS). With no approved disease modifying therapy, there is limited information on the treatment patterns and resource utilization among these patients (pts).Objectives:To describe pts characteristics, treatment patterns and healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) using electronic health records (EHR) of pts with pSS and sSS treated at the Providence St. Josephs Health system (PSJH).Methods:Pts ≥18 years of age with at least one clinical encounter with ICD-9-CM or ICD-10-CM diagnosis of SS, between Jan 2013 and Mar 2019 were included. Date of first encounter with SS diagnosis (index date) was used to assess pts demographics. Pt baseline comorbidities were evaluated during the 24 months pre-index period. Treatment patterns and HCRU were assessed during the 12 months post-index follow-up. Descriptive statistics were used to describe pts’ demographic and clinical characteristics, and medications use in the baseline and follow up.Results:Study cohort included 9,108 SS pts of which 76.5% had sSS diagnosis on index date. Majority of SS pts were women, Caucasian, with mean age of 58.3 yrs, and from western states in the US (Table 1). Endocrine conditions including hypo- and hyperthyroidism, and diabetes was the most common (45.5%) comorbidity at baseline, followed by rheumatologic disorders (25.6%) and neurological conditions (22.2%). Among patients with treatment information (4088, 44.88%), 42.95% were using symptomatic treatments for dry eye and mouth at baseline (Table 1). In the follow-up, SS pts had average 5.8 healthcare visits per patient per year (PPPY), including 0.6 inpatient and 3.4 outpatient visit respectively. About 40% of the SS pts (53.8% pSS and 35.8% sSS) were diagnosed by rheumatologists. Majority of the SS pts initiated treatment with cDMARDs (82%) and remained on the same treatment during 1 year follow-up (Fig 2).Table 1.Baseline Demographic and Clinical Pts CharacteristicsSS Pts (n=9,108)DemographicsAge (years) on index date, mean (SD)58.3 (15.1)Female, n (%)8,338 (91.6)Caucasian, n (%)6.936 (76.2)Western Region, n (%)8,998 (98.8)Married, n (%)5,164 (56.7)Never Smoked, n (%)4,847 (53.2)Primary diagnosis, n (%)2,137 (23.5)Comorbidities, n (%)Cardiovascular1,408 (17.2)Endocrine3,733 (45.5)Oncology800 (9.8)Blood disorders1,221 (14.9)Pulmonary1,802 (22.0)Neurological1,821 (22.2)Liver/Kidney1,782 (21.7)Rheumatologic disorders2,096 (25.6)Autoimmune/ Immune related1,527 (18.6)Baseline Medications, n (%)Symptomatic11,756 (43.0)NSAIDs21,578 (38.6)cDMARDs31,435 (35.1)Corticosteroid41,393 (34.1)bDMARDs5266 (6.5)1cevimeline, pilocarpine hydrochloride, ophthalmic insert etc;2aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen;3methotrexate, hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, leflunomide, myophenolate mofetil, azathioprine;4prednisone;5sarilumab, belimumab, ustekinumab, infliximab, adalimumab, certolizumab pegol, golimumab, etanercept, abatacept, tocilizumab, rituximab, tofacitinib, baricitinibFigure 1.HCRU for pSS and sSS PtsFigure 2.Treatment Sequencing for pSS and sSS Pts. Note: Discontinued: pts who discontinued and didn’t advance to any therapy; same treatment: pts continued on index treatment till we have information.Conclusion:Observation of higher comorbidities suggests substantial burden of SS pts on healthcare system, with majority of pts being diagnosed outside of rheumatology offices.Acknowledgments: :We acknowledge the contributions of Manasi Suryavanshi towards drafting and reviewing the abstract.Disclosure of Interests:Philip J Mease Grant/research support from: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – grant/research support, Consultant of: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Celgene Corporation, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Sun Pharmaceutical, UCB – consultant, Speakers bureau: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, BMS, Eli Lilly, Genentech, Janssen, Pfizer, UCB – speakers bureau, Joe Zhuo Shareholder of: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Employee of: Bristol-Myers Squibb, Roshanthi Weerasinghe Grant/research support from:., Qian Xia Shareholder of: I own shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Employee of: I am a paid employee of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Chidananda Samal Consultant of: I work as a consultant for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Niyati Sharma Consultant of: I work as a consultant for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

- Leonard Y. Andaya, J. Noorduyn, Bima en Sumbawa; Bijdragen tot de geschiedenis van de Sultanaten Bima en Sumbawa door A. Ligtvoet en G.P. Rouffaer, Dordrecht-Holland/Providence-U.S.A.: Foris publications, ix, 187 pp, maps, indexes. - Ben Arps, Philip Yampolsky, Lokananta; A discography of the national recording company of Indonesia 1957-1985, Madison, Wisconsin: Center for Southeast Asian studies, University of Wisconsin, Bibliographical series No. 10, 1987. XIII + 433 pp. - Victoria M. Clara van Groenendael, Ward Keeler, Javanese shadow plays, Javanese selves, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1987. xvii + 282 pages. Illustrations, photographs, bibliography, glossary, index. - Jean Gelman Taylor, Leonard Blussé, Strange company. Chinese settlers. Mestizo women and the Dutch in VOC Batavia. Verhandelingen van het Koninklijk Instituut voor Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde, Dordrecht: Foris publications, 1986. - V.J.H. Houben, R.B. van de Weijer, Tussen traditie en wetenschap; Geschiedbeoefening in niet-westerse culturen, Nijmegen 1987., P.G.B. Thissen, R. Schönberger (eds.) - V.J.H. Houben, J. van Goor, Indië/Indonesië; Van kolonie tot natie, HES, Utrecht 1987. - F.G.P. Jaquet, Th. van den End, Gereformeerde zending op Sumba (1859-1972), een bronenpublicatie, bewerkt door Th. van den End. Alphen aan den Rijn: Aska, 1987. XIV, 743 pp. Uitgave van de Raad voor de Zending der Nederlands Hervormde Kerk, de Zending der Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland en de Gereformeerde Zendingsbond in de Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk. - R.E. Jordaan, Roland Werner, Bomoh/Dukun; The practices and philosophies of the traditional Malay healer, Berne; Institute of Ethnology (Studia ethnologica Bernensia 3), 1986. 106 pp., illustrations and photographs. - P.E. de Josselin de Jong, Werner Kraus, Zwischen reform und rebellion: Über die Entwicklung des Islams in Minangkabau (Westsumatra) zwischen den beiden Reformsbewegungen der Padri (1837) und der Modernisten (1908), Beiträge zur Südasien-Forschung, Südasien-Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Band 8S, Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1984. 236 pp. - Wolfgang Marschall, Pietro Scarduelli, L’isola degli antenati di pietra; Strutture sociali e simboliche dei Nias dell’Indonesia, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 1986. IX + 232 pp., 22 pl., 28 figs. - Nigel Phillips, C. Skinner, The battle for Junk Ceylon; The syair Sultan Maulana, Dordrecht: Foris, 1985. viii + 325 pp. - Harry A. Poeze, Mavis Rose, Indonesia free; A political biography of Mohammad Hatta. Ithaca, New York: Cornell Modern Indonesia Project, viii + 245 pp. - D.J. Prentice, Elisabeth Tooker, Naming systems: The 1980 proceedings of the American Ethnological society, The American Ethnological society, 1984. vii + 107 pp., Harold C. Conklin (eds.) - Patricia D. Rueb, Christine Dobbin, Islamic revivalism in a changing peasant economy; Central Sumatra, 1784-1847, London/Malmö; Scandinavian Institute of Asian studies, Monograph series no. 47, 1987, 300 pages, illustrated. - P.C. Verton, Ank Klomp, Politics on Bonaire; An anthropological study. Assen/Maastricht: Van Gorcum, 1986.' [Translated by Dirk H. van der Elst] - Leontine E. Visser, Elisabeth Traube, Cosmology and social life; Ritual exchange among the Mambai of East Timor, Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1986. xxiii + 298 pp., figs., photos, index.

Abstract Background Klebsiella pneumoniae is a frequently multidrug-resistant organism with a high propensity to form biofilm. K. pneumoniae is the most common carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and labeled an urgent threat by the CDC. The relationship between K. pneumoniae biofilm formation and specific antimicrobial resistance patterns has not been well defined. Methods K. pneumoniae isolates (n = 139) were evaluated for antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation (CDC, Providence VA Med. Ctr., Rhode Island Hosp., BEI, and ATCC). Susceptibility was based predominantly on 2017 CLSI (Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute) breakpoints. Isolates were categorized as multidrug-resistant (MDR: resistant to ≥ 1 antimicrobial in ≥ 3 out of 16 antimicrobial categories) or extensively drug-resistant (XDR: resistant to ≥ 1 antimicrobial in all but ≤ 2 out of 16 antimicrobial categories) based on expert consensus criteria for Enterobacteriaceae (European CDC (ECDC)/CDC, 2012). We collapsed antimicrobial categories described by the ECDC/CDC consensus group into nine categories: penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactam, carbapenems, protein synthesis inhibitors, fluoroquinolones, folate pathway inhibitors, fosfomycin, and colistin. Biofilm formation was assessed using a modified crystal violet method (OD570) and defined by tertile cut-points. Antimicrobial resistance was compared for weak (n = 47) vs. strong (n = 46) biofilm formation by chi-square or Fisher’s exact test. Predictors of strong biofilm formation were identified using logistic regression. Results MDR isolates were more common among weak (n = 46/47, 97.9%) vs. strong biofilm formers (n = 35/46, 76.1%; P = 0.002), whereas XDR was similar between groups (n = 12/47, 25.5% vs. n = 13/46, 28.3% P = 0.77). Resistance to penicillins, cephalosporins, monobactams, carbapenems, protein synthesis, or fluoroquinolones was more common among weak biofilm formers (P < 0.05). Carbapenem resistance was inversely associated with strong biofilm formation (odds ratio 0.09; 95% confidence interval 0.02–0.33). Conclusion Carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae was 91% less likely to form strong biofilm. Potential trade-off mechanisms between antimicrobial resistance and biofilm formation require further exploration. Disclosures A. Caffrey, Merck: Grant Investigator, Research grant. The Medicine’s Company: Grant Investigator, Research grant. Pfizer: Grant Investigator, Research grant. K. LaPlante, Merck: Grant Investigator, Research grant. Pfizer Pharmaceuticals: Grant Investigator, Research grant. Allergan: Scientific Advisor, Honorarium. Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.: Grant Investigator and Scientific Advisor, Honorarium and Research grant. Achaogen, Inc.: Scientific Advisor, Honorarium. Zavante Therapeutics, Inc.: Scientific Advisor, Honorarium.

In this paper, we completely characterize locally compact flows G G of homeomorphisms of connected manifolds M M by proving that they are either circle groups or real groups. For M = R m M = \mathbb R^m , we prove that every recurrent element in G G is periodic, and we obtain a generalization of the result of Yang [Hilbert’s fifth problem and related problems on transformation groups, American Mathematical Society, Providence, RI, 1976, pp. 142–146.] by proving that there is no nontrivial locally compact flow on R m \mathbb R^m in which all elements are recurrent.

It was confusing to him. He was in a world which had a set of rules all its own. He knew the other rules—the rules of his own world. But these were different. Men actually lived their four years away at the University, and sent children after them. It was a wild, improbable thing to have fallen into, and the day student looked at his fellows, could distinguish them no differences among them at first, and felt lost. His evenings were spent in the company of old friends and in the old places; his days at the college. And he plunged from past to present; present to past. They told him about loyalty, and he went home to think about it. But at home it became dim and unreal. Then he went back, the next morning, and they told him of loyalty again, of the mighty traditions. If he took it to heart he could only do so above the sickening realization that at four o'clock he must be on Trolley 13 again. And it was hard to take the traditions over the river.Samuel Lipschutz, B.A.University of Pennsylvania, 1929Many of our alumni and some of our students, supported by more than a few of our faculty and corporation, have seriously queried whether or no Brown, in common with other institutions located in a like environment, has in her student body too large a proportion of socially undesirable students. We are most emphatically not concerned with Jew-baiting. I am proud to say that race and creed are still not valid causes for concern in the liberal community founded by Roger Williams. But some of us are worried by the influx of alien blood into what was not so long ago a homogeneous group of students prevailingly Baptist and Anglo-Saxon. Says one alumnus, “A certain type of student is far below the standard we should like to see. I refer to those called carpet-baggers! They live in or near Providence, arrive at the University in the morning in time for their first class, park themselves, their books, and their lunch in the Union, leave the college the minute their last class is over, take no part in college life, absorb all they can, give back nothing of benefit, and probably will prove no credit to the University as alumni.” Surely some of you have heard the same tale.—Kenneth O. MasonDean of Freshmen, Brown University, 1927Were colleges obliged to address the dilemmas faced by the many firstand second-generation Americans who enrolled after World War I? No, replied many administrators who espoused exclusion or assimilation, or who expressed indifference. These attitudes meant that many students would never learn to navigate the turbulent waters of campus social life. Dropout rates were significant even before the Great Crash created insurmountable financial difficulties for numerous undergraduates. The testimony of peers who remained suggested that success often came despite institutional hostility.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose joint stock company with variable capital (JSCVC), as financial sharing funds and banks necessitate that their capital and number of shareholders be instantaneously variable. Legal personality and accounts clearing of this type of corporations are different from conventional companies. Design/methodology/approach – JSCVC is a corporation in which capital and shares of shareholders vary by new entrance or withdrawal of shareholders at any point of time. Findings – Interest rate-based calculations were removed and Rastin Sharing Accounting was applied for JSCVS. Shareholders of JSCVC share the company’s nominal capital proportional to nominal values of their shares. Financial outcome of JSCVC is proportional to values of shares weighted by shares duration of participation. Research limitations/implications – To prevent spoiling of shareholders’ rights, legal procedure of issuing shares for JSCVC should be defined in compliance with domestic commerce laws in any country. Practical implications – JSCVC can be used by majority of investment funds, credit unions, saving and loan associations, pension and provident funds, thrift saving plans as well as Islamic banks and financial sharing activities. In JSCVC, deposit at a bank is treated as a share of the company (bank). Social implications – JSCVC has fair profit distribution and accounts clearing arrangements. Originality/value – Different variable capital companies have been defined in many countries’ laws, but essential modifications are presented in JSCVC definition to regulate financial sharing arrangements and bank’s performances.

-Sidney W. Mintz, Mats Lundahl, The Haitian economy: man, land and markets. New York: St. Martins Press, 1983. 290 pp.-Regine Altagrace Latortue, Léon-Francois Hoffmann, Essays on Haitian Literature. Washington D.C.: Three Continents Press, 1984. 184 pp.-Robert Forster, Lieutenant Howard, The Haitian journal of lieutenant Howard, York Hussars, 1796-1798. Edited with an introduction by Roger Norman Buckley. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1985. liv + 194.-David Bray, Bernardo Vega, Los Estados Unidos y Trujillo, año 1930. Santo Domingo: Fundación Cultural Dominicano, 1986. 2 vols. xi + 1120 pp.-David Bray, Bernardo Vega, Los Estados Unidos y Trujillo, año 1947. Santo Domingo: Fundación Cultural Dominicana, 1984. 2 vols. xi + 1018 pp.-David Bray, Bernardo Vega, Nazismo, fascismo y falangismo en la Republica Dominicana. Santo Domingo: Fundación Cultural Dominicana, 1985. 415 pp.-Tony Thorndike, Bruce J. Calder, The impact of intervention: The Dominican Republic during the US occupation of 1916-1924. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1984. 358 pp.-Marcella M. Little, Jacques Barbier ,The North American role in the Spanish imperial economy 1760-1819. Manchester, England, 1984: Manchester University Press. pp. 232., Allan J. Kuethe (eds)-Janette Forte, Peter Riviere, Individual and society in Guiana: a comparative study of Amerindian social organisation. Cambridge, London, New York: Cambridge University Press, 1984. 127 pp.-Stephen D. Glazier, Jay D. Dobbin, The Jombee dance of Montserrat: a study of trance ritual in the West Indies. Columbus: Ohio State University Press, 1986. 202 pp.-Robert J. Stewart, Stephen D. Glazier, Marchin' the Pilgrims home: leadership and decision-making in an Afro-Caribbean faith. Connecticut and London: Greenwood Press, 1983. xv + 165 pp.-Sidney M. Greenfield, Karen Fog Olwig, Cultural adaptation and resistance on St. John: three centuries of Afro-Caribbean life. Gainesville: University of Florida Press, 1985. xii + 226 pp.-Adam Kendon, William Washabaugh, Five fingers for survival. Ann Arbor: Karoma Publishers, Inc., 1986. xiv + 198 pp.-Evelyne T. Menard, Carnot (F. Moloen), Alors ma chére...Propos d'un musicien guadeloupéen recueillis et traduits par Marie-Céline Lafontaine. Paris: Editions Caribéennes, 1986. 159 pp.-Sally Price, Suzanne Slesin ,Caribbean style. Authors include Daniel Rozensztroch. Photographs by Gilles de Chabaneix. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, 1985. 290 pp., Stafford Cliff, Jack Berthelot (eds)-Allison Blakely, Gert Oostindie ,In het land van de overheerser. Deel II. Antillianen en Surinamers in Nederland, 1634/1667-1954. Dordrecht (Holland) and Providence RI (U.S.A.): Foris Publications, 1986. xi + 255 pp., Emy Maduro (eds)-Rosemarijn Hoefte, E. van de Boogaart ,Overzee: Nederlandse koloniale geschiedenis, 1590-1975. Haarlem: Fibula-van Dishoek, 1982. 291 pp., P.J. Drooglever et al (eds)-Frederick J. Conway, P.I. Gomes, Rural development in the Caribbean. London: C. Hurst and Company. New York: St. Martins Press, 1985. xxi + 246 pp.-Steve M. Slaby, Charles Edquist, Capitalism, socialism and technology: a comparative study of Cuba and Jamaica. London: Zed Books Ltd., 1985. xiii + 182 pp.-Joan D. Mandle, June Nash ,Women and social change in Latin America. South Hadley, Mass.: Bergin and Garvey Publishers, 1986. 372 pp., Helen Safa (eds)-Bonham C. Richardson, Michael L. Conniff, Black labor on a white canal: Panama, 1904-1981. Pittsburgh, Pa.: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1985. xv + 221 pp.-Brackette F. Williams, Stephen Glazier, Caribbean ethnicity revisited. A special edition of Ethnic Groups, International periodical of ethnic studies. New York, London, Paris, Montreaux, Tokyo: Gordon Breach Science Publishers, 1985. 164 pp.-Gert J. Oostindie, Frauke Gewecke, Die Karibik; zur Geschichte, Politik und Kultur einer Region. Frankfurt/M: Verlag Klaus Dieter Vervuert 1984. 165 pp.

The first insurer of life was the marine insurance underwriters who started issuing life insurance policies on the life of master and crew of the ship, and the merchants. The first insurance policy was issued on 18th June 1583,on the life of WILLIAM GIBBONS for the period of 12 months. The oriental life insurance company is the first insurance companies in India which is started on 1818 by Europeans at Kolkata. The Indian Life Assurance Companies Act, 1912 was the first statutory measure to regulate life business. In 1928, the Indian Insurance Companies Act was enacted to enable the Government to collect statistical information about both life and non-life business transacted in India by Indian and foreign insurers including provident insurance societies. In 1938, with a view to protecting the interest of the Insurance public, the earlier legislation was consolidated and amended by the Insurance Act, 1938 with comprehensive provisions for effective control over the activities of insurers. In 1956 the life insurance companies was nationalized. The LIC absorbed 154 Indian, 16 non-Indian insurers as also 75 provident societies—245 Indian and foreign insurers in all. The LIC had monopoly till the late 90s when the Insurance sector was reopened to the private sector.

ABSTRACTUntil relatively recently life companies generally met their capital needs either from internal resources or by means of equity capital provided by shareholders. However, the financial pressures on life operations have led to more innovative alternatives being used. In response to these pressures different forms of capital support from reinsurers, banks or other group funds or companies have been developed. In April 1998 National Provident Institution (NPI) became the first life company to issue bonds to investors secured on the future profits expected to arise from part of its existing life business. This paper discusses: financing options available to life companies; the terms of NPI's securitisation; the relative merits of different financing and capital management alternatives; alternative forms of capital support; the implications for policyholders and their interests; and actuarial issues arising from the different forms of financing.

Barry Cross was born at Coulsden, Surrey, the second son of Hubert and Elsie Cross (nee Richards). Hubert Cross was a life assurance cashier with Scottish Provident in the City of London. In the First World War he served with the Honorable Artillery Company in Palestine as ‘a private and proud of it’. Untroubled by career ambitions he was content with a routine job, family life, and playing rugby at county level. His sons remembered him as kind, firm and a little distant, while their mother was more indulgent and the provider of puddings. With the possible exception of Penuel Cross, a paternal great–grandfather, who was a bass chorister and lay vicar at Winchester Cathedral for 43 years, there was little trace of a creative or scholarly impulse on either Barry's father's or mother's side. Yet Barry and his younger brother John (who became Professor of Politics at University College Cardiff) had academic ambitions and well thought–out career goals from an early age. As Barry was later to write:

The study investigates an average direct and indirect costs incurred by Nasopharyngeal Cancer (NPC) patients who received diagnosis, treatment and follow up in the Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Malaysia. A total of 299 NPC patients were randomly selected using a primary data collection approach from the Sarawak General Hospital between November 2018-March 2019. Information related to the average direct and indirect costs incurred by NPC patients at various stages and the sources of their financial assistance throughout the treatment periods were assorted. The study reveals that the total average cost of 169 or 56.52% of the NPC patients who received various treatment services in the public hospital is RM13,165 against RM78,860 on 130 or 43.48% of the patients received the same services in both public and private healthcare. Major sources of funding come from patients’ savings, family members, medical insurances, non-profit organization or charity, company healthcare benefits, employees’ provident fund (EPF) as well as subsidy from the government: This study suggests that the treatment cost for cancer patient is high and hence, there is a need to establish a mechanism that can provide a free screening test for NPC as a forward step to cancer prevention, while for policy makers to develop a more supportive initiative to address the needs of the poor patients.

This paper examines principle-based corporate governance (CG) and the economic performance of the Fijian economy. A comprehensive study for three public cooperations, namely the National Bank of Fiji (NBF), Fiji Sugar Cooperation (FSC), and Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF), is undertaken. The economic assessment of the Fijian economy exists from the period 2017 to 2021, and immense discussion related to the GDP growth rate and export markets has been conducted. The research paper adopts a case study method, and reference has been made to company reports and existing literature to conclude on the compliance of CG virtues. The findings reveal that FNPF, NBF, and FSC experienced corporate collapse due to deficiencies, deception, and improper CG practice. The failure of NBF was a major blow on the Fijian economy, while large losses from FSC imposed risk on the stakeholders of the sugar industry. FNPF had also managed to overcome the write-off of 2010 with the help of good CG, but the wrong decisions by the relevant authorities had created fear among the retirement savers. The selected cooperations reveal important lessons for other Fijian companies. Although the research does not determine the CG index or compare the practice of CG between public and private firms, the achieved results point out the need to make companies follow the principles of CG and train personnel to instil ethical behaviours, transparency, and accountability

PHYSICO-THEOLOGY: Religion and Science in Europe, 1650-1750 by Ann Blair and Kaspar von Greyerz, eds. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2020. 274 pages, including bibliography and index. Hardcover; $54.95. ISBN: 9781421438467. *What is physico-theology? Is it merely a peculiar term for what is more generally known as natural theology? Physico-theology makes its clearest first appearances in John Ray's Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of Creation (1691), Miscellaneous Discourses (1692), and Three Physico-Theological Discourses (1713). It also appears in William Derham's Physico-Theology (1713) and Astro-Theology (1715). Historically, these works set the standard for what the authors of Blair and Greyerz's edited collection of papers include within "physico-theology." Using these titles as a guide makes it possible to judge that, while Walter Charleton's earlier book The Darkness of Atheism Dispelled by the Light of Nature: A Physico-Theologicall Treatise (1652) uses the expression, it is not found consistently within the genre; many other books that do not employ the technical term still belong within the tradition. If Ray had any predecessor, it is likely Robert Boyle, as Katherine Calloway argues from Boyle's Disquistion about Final Causes (1688). Her emphasis on this book, rather than Boyle's other earlier "physico-" titled books, is appropriate because it emphasizes not only the teleological aspect of physico-theology, but more importantly the empirical drive. *It is a small oversight in this collection that there was no chapter devoted entirely to Boyle, given how well he fits within the physico-theological genre. Henry More's Antidote against Atheism (1653) is frequently discussed in the collection as a possible forerunner of physico-theology. Calloway even shows that Ray follows him in the order of his arguments. However, she is right to say that More's Platonism is antithetical to the empirical impulse of physico-theological writers. Peter Harrison sets the term physico-theology etymologically in the company of similar words such as "physico-medical," "astro-theology," and "insecto-theology," all current through the period examined. These novel terms signal disciplinary boundary crossing where "physico-" is the catch-all for the many specialized "theologies" from nature. They explore the liminal zone of the questions of creation, generation, and eschatology in their most developed forms of those theologies. *Kaspar von Greyerz explains that by 1728 physico-theology was now firmly established, as evidenced by the editorial work of Johann Fabricius in his translation of Derham's Astro-Theology. Added to the translation was a bibliography of related works that Fabricius used to establish physico-theology within an older and more robust pedigree. In numerous new editions up until 1765, he increased this bibliography to seventy-five pages. Fabricius can include so many related works because he had a broader notion of physico-theology that reinforced "recognition of, as well as love and respect for, the creator." This seems to be a continuation of the theme in the German context as shown by Kathleen Crowther in the work of Jakob Horst, a seventeenth-century German Lutheran. *So, is there a difference between physico-theology and natural theology? Scott Mandelbrote suggests that while both are concerned with divine design and purpose, physico-theology tends to emphasize special providence or care. Several of the contributors to this volume also emphasize the apologetic role this played either against the bare mechanism that was attributed to Descartes or atheism more generally. Rienk Vermij holds that physico-theology was more about nature, whereas natural theology about theology, supported, in part, by the fact that it was primarily natural philosophers and naturalists who wrote on the subject, not theologians. In his examination of two physicians who wrote on physico-theology, the Dutch Bernard Nieuwentijt and the German Johann Jakob Scheuchzer, Vermij argues that physico-theology seeks to inform the interpretation of nature through the Bible. In contrast, in natural theology, it is nature informing one's knowledge of God. *In reality, many writers in the physico-theology genre are skeptical of the possibility of natural theology. Some of the most insightful chapters in this book were those in which theology was understood as a motivation and foundation for studying nature. Anne-Charlott Trepp noted that the Lutheran ubiquity of Christ in the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was no less a ubiquity of Christ in nature, grounding the possibility of physico-theology. Further, the Pietist emphasis on experience in religious life was conducive to empirical study. "For, as God revealed himself through the materialized word in every individual creature, individual things immanent to the world, even the lowest in nature's hierarchy, gained a new dignity and transcendence not least in their bodily presence and materiality" (p. 133). *Martine Pécharman's treatment of Blaise Pascal's rejection of natural theology shows that the Jansenist Pascal proved more Calvinist than many of the English authors innate to the physico-theological project. Pécharman reveals how the early editors of Pascal's Pensées obscured both his skepticism about the sinful human's ability to rightly read the divine in nature, and also obscured Pascal's remark that the creation was insufficient to bring one to salvation. Instead, as Pascal said, nature alone will lead one to atheism or deism. This is, in fact, what happened not long after, as John Brooke notes, among the English Latitudinarians. Nöel-Antoine Pluche, another Jansenist, also avoids teleological arguments, as Nicolas Brucker explains. Pluche's survey work, The Spectacle of Nature, was aimed at an elite French audience. "The question is rather how to know more about Creation, and therefore how to better revere the Creator" (p. 189). This theme of wonder leading to reverence permeates all physico-theological writers. *Physico-theology, even when not named as such, was also an active part of defenses against the early stages of biblical criticism (e.g., Spinoza and La Peyrère). Eric Jorink describes the detailed work of the Dutch author Willem Goeree, who used math and engineering to reconstruct a plausible Noah's Ark. Jorink briefly mentions Kircher's earlier attempt, but it would have been interesting to compare the two authors on that subject: a Dutch Calvinist and a German Jesuit. Did physico-theology join them or divide them? Antonio Vallisneri, a naturalist at the University of Padua, struggled to reconcile fossils, geological formations, and the Flood. Brendan Dooley shows that, at least in Vallisneri's work, physico-theology was not always, even if predominantly, adulatory toward divine providence. Vallisneri was comfortable with unresolved questions of fossils and the Flood. *John Brooke, in his chapter "Was Physico-Theology Bad Theology and Bad Science?," succumbs to the presentism he seeks to undermine with that provocative title. Regarding "bad science," he judges that while the proponents of physico-theology were all leaders in their fields, they were unduly "anthropocentric" in their reading of nature. Yet, when he comes to answer the question of "bad theology," he says it is a question that cannot be answered, since it is contingent on one's theological stripe. Why, one may ask, did he not rate science by the same standard, admitting his own scientific prejudice against the "anthropocentrism" of divine design, as if it somehow reduced the quality of the science? Despite this bias, Brooke adds an important theological insight in that design arguments that highlight divine care tend to pass too quickly over sin and natural evil. Pascal, as noted above, was an exception to this rule. *Brian Ogilvie, looking at several authors doing "insecto-theology," does not see the design theme as anthropocentrism, but rather that the attention of physico-theologians to function and design in insect morphology and behavior fostered genuine contributions to the field. Aesthetic values can be as much a part of what one brings to and takes away from physico-theology. Simona Boscani Leoni shows this happening as the perception of the Swiss Alps went from jagged and ugly to praiseworthy--a physico-theology of mountains moving in parallel with that trajectory. A deeper look into a connection between physico-theology of the mountains and Albrecht von Haller's poem Die Alpen (1732) would have been interesting here, especially given Haller's Swiss Calvinism and active role in questions of natural philosophy and religion. In botany, as "form" comes to serve the interests of beauty more than function, physico-theology can become unnecessary, as Jonathan Sheehan shows in an investigation of studies of flowers during this time. *This volume presents the subject with excellent variety, yet editorially holds together well, serving as an introduction to the intellectual phenomenon of physico-theology. Chapters sometimes overlap in their discussion of key works of the period, but this happily serves to connect them together. Like the disciplinary boundary crossing which is physico-theology, this collection of papers, handling authors mostly writing in the period 1690-1740--neither really "Scientific Revolution" or "Enlightenment" in our usual historical categories--gives insight into a generation that might otherwise be undervalued because it does not easily fit into either. It is a liminal zone where interesting natural experiments can happen. *Reviewed by Jason M. Rampelt, PhD from the University of Cambridge, Edgeworth, PA 15143.

L’objectif de ce travail est d’examiner la contribution de l’assurance-vie, en tant que facteur de sécurité sociale au Cameroun. Le marché de l’assurance-vie en Afrique subsaharienne et particulièrement dans la zone CIMA/FANAF est nettement inférieur à la moyenne du marché mondial (L’Afrique en représente 1,1% (marchés vie et non vie), la plus grande part étant représentée par l’Amérique avec 44,2%, devançant l’Europe (28,0%) et l’Asie-Pacifique émergente 13,5% (FANAF, 2023). Le faible développement du marché de l’assurance-vie peut s’expliquer par des caractéristiques d’ordre socioculturelles et économiques des populations. L’assurance-vie vise deux finalités, la prévoyance et/ou l’épargne. Elle apparaît ainsi comme une technique efficace de protection sociale. Nous avons utilisé la méthode de recherche qualitative (MRQ) basée sur une étude de Cas. Les données proviennent des entretiens semi-directifs menés au sein d’une entreprise d’assurance au Cameroun. À la suite d’une démarche interprétative des verbatims, les principaux résultats montrent que la nature de l’environnement, le contexte économique et les caractéristiques du marché de l’assurance-vie influencent significativement le niveau de développement du secteur des assurances au Cameroun. À l’issue de ce travail, nous recommandons à Prudential Beneficial Life Insurance de réadapter ses produits, augmenter son capital humain, s’adapter à l’évolution des consommateurs et investir dans le numérique. The objective of this work is to examine the contribution of life insurance as a factor of social security in Cameroon. The life insurance market in sub-Saharan Africa and particularly in the CIMA/FANAF zone is significantly lower than the world market average (Africa represents 1.1% (of life and non-life markets), the largest share being represented by America with 44.2%, ahead of Europe (28.0%) and emerging Asia-Pacific 13.5% (FANAF, 2023). can be explained by the socio-cultural and economic characteristics of populations. Life insurance has two purposes, provident insurance and/or savings. It thus appears to be an effective technique of social protection. We have used the method of qualitative research (MRQ) based on a case study. The data comes from semi-structured interviews conducted within an insurance company in Cameroon. Following an interpretative approach of the verbatims, the main results show that the nature of the environment, the economic context, and the characteristics of the life insurance market significantly influence the level of development of the insurance sector in Cameroon. At the end of this work, we recommend that Prudential Beneficial Life Insurance readapt its products, increase its human capital, adapt to changing consumers, and invest in digital technology.

The World Trade Center Attack or 9/11 tragedy has awakened the international community, particularly the United States (US) to sharpen its foreign policy in facing security threats coming from ‘weak states’. One of the most prominent weak states examples that pose a grave threat to other countries are the Northern Triangle Countries of Central America that referred to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Hence, this paper will discuss the rationale behind US initiatives in dealing with security threats in El Salvador as one of the Northern Triangle Countries. In analyzing the case, the writers will use the weak state concept and national interest concept. The result of this paper finds that El Salvador corresponds to the elements of a weak state and further poses security threats by giving rise to transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking, and migrant problems in which overcoming those security threats has become US vital national interest. However, we also find that although decreasing security threats and strengthening El Salvador government capacity is highly correlated, strengthening El Salvador governance through the providence of aid and assistance is actually classified as US important national interest. Keywords: Security threats; Northern Triangle; weak state; El Salvador; national interest REFERENCES Ambrus, Steven. “Guatemala: The Crisis of Rule of Law and a Weak Party System.” Ideas Matter, January 28, 2019. https://blogs.iadb.org/ideas-matter/en/guatemala-the-crisis-of-rule-of-law-and-a-weak-party-system/. Andrade, Laura. Transparency In El Salvador. 1st ed. 1. El Salvador: University Institute for Public Opinion, Asmann, Parker. “El Salvador Citizens Say Gangs, Not Government 'Rule' the Country.” InSight Crime, August 19, 2020. https://insightcrime.org/news/brief/el-salvador-citizens-say-gangs-not- government-rules-country/. Accessed July 11, 2021. Art, Robert J. A. Grand Strategy for America. 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Orthopedic surgeons are usually well-versed in the medical parts of their career, but they may be less so in the financial aspects. The purpose of this article is to present orthopedic surgeons with a list of ten critical financial investments that will help them ensure their financial future and improve their practice. Orthopedic doctors may make educated decisions and develop a sound financial foundation for their careers and retirement by considering these investing alternatives. The article will discuss a variety of investment possibilities, including stocks, bonds, real estate, and alternative investments, as well as how to manage funds wisely to maximize profits and minimize risks. Life Insurance Plan Term life insurance is recommended for doctors due to its affordability and flexibility, but should not be mixed with money back clauses. The ideal life cover amount depends on income, financial obligations, and future goals. Dave Ramsey’s Rule of Thumb suggests getting coverage 10–12 times your income, while the Life Insurance Amount Formula calculates needs by adding outstanding debts, projected family expenses such as kid’s education and marriage, annual expenses, and deducting current savings and investments. The White Coat Investor recommends a 30-year term life insurance policy for simplicity, and it is generally wise to have life insurance until children become financially independent and you have enough money to care for your spouse. Mediclaim Policy Mediclaim coverage is crucial for orthopedic surgeons and their families in India to cover the financial impact of medical emergencies. Factors to consider include the sum insured, network hospitals, and pre-existing sickness coverage. For major cities like Delhi or Mumbai, an insured amount of Rs 10 lakh per person is recommended. For households of two adults and one child, Rs 30 lakh is recommended. Pre-existing diseases disclosure is essential to avoid reimbursement issues like refusal of claim. Health insurance portability allows policyholders to switch insurance companies for better coverage or services, without forfeiting any accrued renewal benefits waiting period for pre-existing diseases. However, portability is only available 45 days before policy renewal. Fixed Deposit Fixed deposit plans provide greater interest rates than savings accounts, making them an appealing long-term investment option. Early withdrawals, on the other hand, may result in penalties or lesser returns. Before investing, it is important to examine the bank’s trustworthiness, interest rate offered, scheme duration, and other terms and conditions. It should be noted that the interest produced by these schemes is taxable. Gold and Gold Bonds Gold and Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) are attractive investment alternatives for doctors in India because they provide a buffer against inflation and a secure harbor for funds. Gold is a desirable asset that gains with time, but there are expenditures to consider such as storage and maintenance. SGBs, which were introduced in November 2015, are government securities priced in grams of gold with a set annual interest rate of 2.5% and an 8-year maturity with tax advantages. Individuals, HUFs, trusts, universities, and charity institutions are all eligible investors. Mutual Funds Mutual funds have several benefits, including diversification, expert management, liquidity, and cost. Doctors can invest in mutual funds and can invest on their own or use an advisor. Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) are a popular option for doctors to engage in mutual funds because they allow them to contribute small sums on a regular basis and profit from the power of compounding. Before investing, it is critical to assess several mutual fund options, such as direct investment, which lowers the expense ratio, and consider variables such as the fund’s performance history, fund manager track record, fund stock portfolio, and investment strategy. One of the simplest methods is to invest in index mutual funds, which provide identical returns to indexes such as the Nifty50. Equity Stocks India’s economic might is increasing. As a result, equity stocks provide long-term development and capital appreciation potential for investors. Doctors should examine market risks carefully and diversify their investment portfolios. They can invest in large-cap stocks with a track record of consistent growth, such as Asian Paints and Pidilite, and equities traded funds, such as Nifty Bees, or seek professional assistance in developing a portfolio that is matched with their financial goals and risk tolerance. SIPs are popular for investing in equities companies. Due to stock market volatility, the investment horizon should be more than 5 years to expect returns of 12–15%. Professional Indemnity In India, professional indemnity insurance is essential for orthopedic specialists since it protects legal responsibilities resulting from medical malpractice lawsuits. It shields doctors against financial risks such as judgments, arbitration fees, medical harm, punitive damages, restitution, attorneys’ fees, legal costs, and penalties. For orthopedic surgeons, the insurance should give continuity of coverage for liability from previous years of practice, offer out-of-court settlement, and have a minimum sum insured of 1 crore. The sum guaranteed is also determined by insurance period (any one year AOY) and accident times (any 1 time AOT). For complete coverage and dependable service, it is critical to renew the policy on time and to pick a renowned insurance provider. Various medical organizations, such as Maharashtra Orthopaedic Associations, have professional indemnity programs. Car Insurance Before purchasing car insurance for doctors in India, it is crucial to consider the following factors: company reputation, coverage, exclusions, deductible, claim process, premium payment frequency, add-on options such as cashless facility, customer service, claim settlement ratio, and online buying option. The Insured Declared Value is the market price of a car and the maximum sum insured if the car is stolen or damaged beyond repair. The insurance premium is also directly proportional to IVD; hence, an appropriate IVD is important. The Incurred Claim Ratio (ICR) is the total claim amount paid by the insurance company in relation to the total premium amount collected in a financial year. A high ICR indicates good compensation settlement. By considering these factors, doctors can make informed decisions and get the most value for their money when purchasing car insurance in India. Real Estate Residential, commercial, real estate crowdfunding, raw land, and real estate investment trusts are all types of real estate investments in India. These investments enable investors to diversify their portfolios while also generating rental income or capital appreciation over time. Doctors should evaluate their property’s location, thorough property registration documents check, and any legal concerns relating to the property to make informed judgments. They should define their investment goals and risk tolerance, as well as perform extensive study on market trends, property valuations, demographics, and possible future growth. Retirement Planning Retirement planning is important in India for a variety of reasons, including financial stability, addressing increased life expectancy, managing inflation and healthcare expenses, taking advantage of tax breaks, and gaining peace of mind during the post-retirement era. Early in their careers, Indian doctors should begin planning for retirement, diversifying their retirement portfolio to spread risk and maximize returns, considering tax-efficient retirement planning strategies such as the Public Provident Fund and the National Pension System, budgeting for health-care expenses, and seeking professional advice. Starting early investment uses power of compounding which dramatically increase their retirement savings over time, while diversifying their portfolio can help balance risk and reward. Seeking competent financial counsel can assist Indian physicians in making educated judgments and navigating the complex retirement planning alternatives. Conclusion Finally, we must diagnose our own financial literacy. We must learn and study to clear blind spots in our financial knowledge. Finally, just as we utilize our medical knowledge to operate and treat our patients, we should use our financial knowledge to be financially independent, wealthy, and to assist others in achieving their life goals.

Over the past two decades, there has been a renewed interest in the analysis of character and characterization in the Hebrew Bible. Many studies have focused on the major characters and their company. However, insufficient attention has been given to characters on the margins of the narrative I identify as ‘marginal characters’. In this paper, I investigate the narratological function of these characters through an examination of select marginal characters in 1–2 Samuel. Drawing upon a conceptual framework for analyzing anonymous characters in Greek Tragedy, I propose two functions for these marginal characters: 1) they serve as a reflection of the narrator’s disposition toward the complex characters of Saul and David; 2) they serve as manifestations of divine providence. These functions are not mutually exclusive. In both cases, however, the marginal characters contribute to a strategy of narrative persuasion, leading the audience to certain ideological and theological conclusions.

In T2D, treatment targets include maintaining HbA1c ≤7.0%, LDL-C <2 mmol/L (<77 mg/dL) , and BP <130/80 mmHg. It is also recommended to improve urinary albumin:creatinine ratio (UACR) , a marker of renal damage and CV risk. We examined effects of CANA vs. placebo on CV and kidney outcomes in patients with T2D and high CV risk and/or chronic kidney disease according to BL treatment targets and risk factors. Pooled data from the CANVAS Program (N=10,142) and the CREDENCE trial (N=4401) were analyzed according to treatment target achievement and by number of targets achieved at BL. Hazard ratios and 95% CIs were estimated using Cox regression models. Of 14,432 participants at BL, 3683 (26%) had achieved 0, 5851 (41%) had achieved 1, 3680 (25%) had achieved 2, and 1218 (8%) had achieved either 3 or 4 targets. At BL, 8415 (58%) participants had UACR >2 mg/mmol. CANA consistently reduced risk of MACE, HHF/CV death, and ESKD or doubling of serum creatinine vs. placebo, regardless of whether BL targets were met or if UACR was elevated (Figure) . The number of uncontrolled targets at BL did not impact the beneficial effect of CANA on CV and kidney outcomes (all P interaction >0.17) . In conclusion, CANA demonstrated consistent CV and renal benefits in patients with T2D, regardless of risk factor control. Disclosure V.C.Woo: Advisory Panel; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Speaker's Bureau; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. M.Tsoukas: Speaker's Bureau; AstraZeneca, Bausch Health, Canada, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Eli Lilly and Company, Johnson & Johnson, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. S.Tobe: Other Relationship; Bayer AG, Speaker's Bureau; AstraZeneca, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. A.Slee: Consultant; Alydia Health, Elixir Medical , IHP Therapeutics , iLumen Scientific, Intuitive Surgical, Janssen Global Services, LLC, Laborie, Providence Medical, Pulse Biosciences, SonoMotion. W.Rapattoni: Employee; Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. F.Ang: Employee; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. J.Seufert: Advisory Panel; Abbott, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH, Research Support; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Speaker's Bureau; Abbott Diabetes, AstraZeneca, Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi-Aventis Deutschland GmbH. D.C.Wheeler: Advisory Panel; Bayer AG, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Gilead Sciences, Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Janssen Global Services, LLC, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Mundipharma, Tricida, Inc., Vifor Pharma Management Ltd., Consultant; AstraZeneca, Speaker's Bureau; Amgen Inc., Astellas Pharma Inc. Funding Janssen Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada

In recent years, the (gut) microbiota of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL, Hermetia illucens) has been the focus of several studies that try to elucidate its composition, its interaction with rearing parameters (like the substrate used) and its impact on rearing performance. While these studies have improved our understanding, conclusions from these studies are often based on only one or a few (mostly laboratory) rearing cycles. This leaves the questions whether such results are impacted by variability in between rearing cycles and whether sampling the microbiota, under the same rearing parameters, would yield repeatable results. To obtain insight in the overall variability in the microbiota, the bacterial community compositions of BSFL as well as the feeding substrates were investigated at two different time points during six consecutive rearing cycles in three BSFL-producing companies. This was done by sequencing the partial 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicons. Based on the results, two main observations were done: (1) there was a clear resemblance over the different cycles at each time point for each individual company, and (2) a clear shift in the community for larvae as well as substrates occurred between the two time points within one production cycle. Additionally, when comparing production sites, an Enterococcus sp. was found at each time point for each company. Other species, such as Corynebacterium sp. and Providencia sp., were commonly found in all companies as well. To conclude, our study reveals that there is a low inter-cycle variability in the larval bacterial community over consecutive rearing cycles within a single company, when they operate using a standardised rearing protocol.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major challenges facing the health sector. This study was aimed at investigating the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates from indoor air of public toilets in motor parks with a view of developing an antibiogram. The study sites included the public toilets in Mile 3 Motor Park, Rivers Transport Company (RTC) park and a General Motor Park in Waterlines, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. The indoor air was sampled using the plate exposure and disc diffusion techniques in determining the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the bacterial isolates. The bacterial isolates in the genera, Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Providencia, Pseudomonas, Escherichia, Enterobacter and Klebsiella species were identified. The antibiogram of the bacteria isolated showed that the bacterial isolates exhibited multi-drug resistant species as the isolates were resistant to more than two antibiotics. Ciprofloxacin and Tarivid are the drug of choice and recommended for treatment of infections from these study sites.

ABSTRACT The majority of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) in Dutch medical microbiology laboratories (MMLs) is performed using the automated system VITEK2 or Phoenix. One of the Phoenix users noted a high percentage of gentamicin resistance in Proteus mirabilis compared to national resistance data. We therefore performed a descriptive analysis comparing gentamicin and tobramycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) distributions for Enterobacterales and non-fermenters as measured using VITEK2 and Phoenix. Routine susceptibility data from 5 MMLs using Phoenix and 31 using VITEK2 with complete data in the Dutch national surveillance system for antimicrobial resistance from January 2016 to December 2021 were included. A panel of 12 discrepant isolates was sent to Becton Dickinson for confirmation. In general, Phoenix measured higher MICs, with discrepancies being most prevalent for Proteus , Providencia , Morganella , Serratia, and Acinetobacter species (borderline susceptibility for gentamicin ranging from 1% for VITEK2 to 67% for Phoenix systems), and less, but still clinically relevant, for Escherichia coli (1%–12%). Furthermore, we observed a yearly increase in resistance for Proteus and Providencia species measured by Phoenix. Similar discrepancies were found for tobramycin. The company confirmed our findings on all strains. Significantly more false aminoglycoside borderline susceptible and resistant Enterobacterales were found using Phoenix compared to the VITEK2 system. These findings should be taken into consideration in the development of clinical treatment guidelines for patients with sepsis. IMPORTANCE Antimicrobial sensitivity data are important to guide antimicrobial therapy. In microbiological laboratories, routine sensitivity measurements are typically performed with automated testing systems such as VITEK2 and Phoenix. Using data from the Dutch national surveillance system for antimicrobial resistance over a 6-year period, we found that the measured minimum inhibitory concentrations for aminoglycosides in Enterobacterales and non-fermenters were too high for the Phoenix system. In addition, we observed a yearly increase in resistance for several species measured by Phoenix. These findings might have consequences for clinical treatment of patients with sepsis.

Tehmina Khan, a 35-year-old, married mother of two, had been working as an assistant professor at a private sector university, University of Management and Information (UMI), School of Business. For the last few years, she had been saving for her retirement via a provident fund (PF) with her employer. The fund had been posting generous returns for years up until July 2018, when it posted earnings well below the inflation rate for the same period. Tehmina wanted to be financially self-sufficient in her post-retirement years and sought no financial dependence on her posterity for that matter. The meagre returns heightened her concerns about the future eventualities, so she had to decide if she should switch to another retirement plan. She needed to explore alternative retirement plans and identify how she could participate in a voluntary pension system (VPS) outside her employer’s PF. Also, if she decided to go ahead with VPS, she had to decide which asset management company(s) and portfolio manager(s) to allocate her savings to. The case comprehensively discusses the details about different retirement benefits and mechanisms and distinguishes aspects of private and public sector retirement plans in Pakistan. Most importantly, the case includes data on the performance of seventeen out of a total of nineteen pension plans operating in Pakistan. It also includes data on asset allocations of pension funds; overall macroeconomic, historical and stock market performances; and yield curve for the last 10 years.

In January of 1908 H. Addington Bruce, a writer for the North American Review, observed that "On every street, at every corner, we meet the neurasthenics" (qtd. in Lears, 50). "Discovered" by the neurologist George M. Beard in 1880, neurasthenia was a nervous disorder characterized by a "lack of nerve force" and comprised of a host of neuroses clustered around an overall paralysis of the will. Historian Barbara Will notes that there were "thousands of men and women at the turn of the century who claimed to be ‘neurasthenics,’" among them Theodore Roosevelt, Edith Wharton, William and Henry James, and Beard himself. These neurasthenics had free roam over the American psychiatric landscape from the date of Beard’s diagnosis until the 1920s, when more accurate diagnostic tools began to subdivide the nearly uninterpretably wide variety of symptoms falling under the rubric of "neurasthenic." By then, however, nearly every educated American had suffered from (or known someone who had) the debilitating "disease"--including Willa Cather, who in The Professor’s House would challenge her readers to acknowledge and engage with the cultural phenomenon of neurasthenia. Cultural historian T.J. Jackson Lears, long a student of neurasthenia, defines it as an "immobilizing, self-punishing depression" stemming from "endless self-analysis" and "morbid introspection" (47, 49). What is especially interesting about the disease, for Lears and other scholars, is that it is a culture-bound syndrome, predicated not upon individual experience, but upon the cultural and economic forces at play during the late nineteenth century. Barbara Will writes that neurasthenia was "double-edged": "a debilitating disease and [...] the very condition of the modern American subject" (88). Interestingly, George Beard attributed neurasthenia to the changes wracking his culture: Neurasthenia is the direct result of the five great changes of modernity: steam power, the periodical press, the telegraph, the sciences, and the mental activity of women. (qtd. in Will, 94) For Beard, neurasthenia was a peculiarly modern disease, the result of industrialization and of the ever-quickening pace of commercial and intellectual life. Jackson Lears takes Beard’s attribution a step further, explaining that "as larger frameworks of meaning weakened, introspection focused on the self alone and became ‘morbid’" (49). These frameworks of meaning--religious, political, psychosexual--were under steady assault in Beard’s time from commodifying and secularizing movements in America. Self-scrutiny, formerly yoked to Protestant salvation (and guilt), became more insular and isolating, resulting in the ultimate modern malady, neurasthenia. While Willa Cather may have inherited Beard’s and her culture’s assumptions of illness, it ultimately appears that Cather’s depiction of neurasthenia is a highly vexed one, both sympathetic and troubled, reflecting a deep knowledge of the condition and an ongoing struggle with the rationalization of scientific psychology. As an intellectual, she was uniquely positioned to both suffer from the forces shaping the new disease and to study them with a critical eye. Godfrey St. Peter, the anxious protagonist of The Professor’s House, becomes then a character that readers of Cather’s day would recognize as a neurasthenic: a "brain-worker," hard-charging and introspective, and lacking in what Beard would call "nerve force," the psychological stoutness needed to withstand modernity’s assault on the self. Moreover, St. Peter is not a lone sufferer, but is instead emblematic of a culture-wide affliction--part of a larger polity constantly driven to newer heights of production, consumption, and subsequent affliction. Jackson Lears theorizes that "neurasthenia was a product of overcivilization" (51), of consumer culture and endemic commodification. Beard himself characterized neurasthenia as an "American disease," a malady integral to the rationalizing, industrializing American economy (31). Cather reinforces the neurasthenic’s exhaustion and inadequacy as St. Peter comes across his wife flirting with Louis Marsellus, prompting the professor to wonder, "Beaux-fils, apparently, were meant by Providence to take the husband’s place when husbands had ceased to be lovers" (160). Not only does this point to the sexual inadequacy and listlessness characteristic of neurasthenia, but the diction here reinforces the modus operandi of the commodity culture--when an old model is used up, it is simply replaced by a newer, better model. Interestingly, Cather’s language itself often mirrors Beard’s. St. Peter at one point exclaims to Lillian, in a beatific reverie: "I was thinking [...] about Euripides; how, when he was an old man, he went and lived in a cave by the sea, and it was thought queer, at the time. It seems that houses had become insupportable to him" (156). The Professor’s "symptom of hopelessness," Beard might explain, "appears to be similar to that of morbid fear--an instinctive consciousness of inadequacy for the task before us. We are hopeless because our nerve force is so reduced that the mere holding on to life seems to be a burden too heavy for us" (49). Both Beard and Cather, then, zero in on the crushing weight of modern life for the neurasthenic. The Professor here aches for rest and isolation--he, in Beard’s language, "fears society," prompting Lillian to fear that he is "’becoming lonely and inhuman’" (162). This neurasthenic craving for isolation becomes much more profound in Book III of the novel, when St. Peter is almost completely estranged from his family. Although he feels he loves them, he "could not live with his family again" upon their return from Europe (274). "Falling out, for him, seemed to mean falling out of all domestic and social relations, out of his place in the human family, indeed" (275). St. Peter’s estrangement is not only with his family (an estrangement perhaps rationalized by the grasping or otherwise distasteful St. Peter clan), but with the human family. It is a solipsistic retreat from contact and effort, the neurasthenic’s revulsion for work of any kind. Neurasthenia, if left untreated, can become deadly. Beard explains: "A certain amount of nerve strength is necessary to supply the courage requisite for simple existence. Abstaining from dying demands a degree of force" (49). Compare this to the scene near the end of the narrative in which St. Peter, sleeping on the couch, nearly dies: When St. Peter at last awoke, the room was pitch-black and full of gas. He was cold and numb, felt sick and rather dazed. The long-anticipated coincidence had happened, he realized. The storm had blown the stove out and the window shut. The thing to do was to get up and open the window. But suppose he did not get up--? How far was a man required to exert himself against accident? [...] He hadn’t lifted his hand against himself--was he required to lift it for himself? (276) This classic scene, variously read as a suicide attempt or as an accident, can be understood as the neurasthenic’s complete collapse. The Professor’s decision is made solely in terms of effort; this is not a moral or philosophical decision, but one of physiological capacity. He is unwilling to "exert" the energy necessary to save himself, unwilling to "lift his hand" either for or against himself. Here is the prototypical neurasthenic fatigue--almost suicidal, but ultimately too passive and weak to even take that course of action. Accidental gassing is a supremely logical death for the neurasthenic. This appropriateness is reinforced by the Professor at the end of the narrative, when he remembers his near death: Yet when he was confronted by accidental extinction, he had felt no will to resist, but had let chance take its way, as it had done with him so often. He did not remember springing up from the couch, though he did remember a crisis, a moment of acute, agonized strangulation. (282) Again, the Professor is a passive figure, couch-ridden, subject to the whims of chance and his own lack of nerve. He is saved by Augusta, though, and does somehow manage to carry on with his life, if in a diminished way. We cannot accredit his survival to clinical treatment of neurasthenia, but perhaps his vicarious experience on the mesa with Tom Outland can account for his fortitude. Treatment of neurasthenia, according to Tom Lutz, "aimed at a reconstitution of the subject in terms of gender roles" (32). S. Weir Mitchell, a leading psychiatrist of the day, treated many notable neurasthenics. Female patients, in line with turn-of-the-century models of female decorum, were prescribed bed rest for up to several months, and were prohibited from all activity and visitors. (Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s "The Yellow Wallpaper" has long been considered a critique of Mitchell’s "rest cure" for women. Interestingly, St. Peter’s old study has yellow wall paper.) Treatments for men, again consistent with contemporary gender roles, emphasized vigorous exercise, often in natural settings: Theodore Roosevelt, Thomas Eakins, Frederic Remington, and Owen Wister were all sent to the Dakotas for rough-riding exercise cures [...] Henry James was sent to hike in the Alps, and William James continued to prescribe vigorous mountain hikes for himself[.] (32) Depleted of "nerve force," male neurasthenics were admonished to replenish their reserves in rugged, survivalist outdoor settings. Beard documents the treatment of one "Mr. O," whom, worn out by "labor necessitated by scholarly pursuits," is afflicted by a settled melancholia, associated with a morbid and utterly baseless fear of financial ruin...he was as easily exhausted physically as mentally. He possessed no reserve force, and gave out utterly whenever he attempted to overstep the bounds of the most ordinary effort. [As part of his treatment] He journeyed to the West, visited the Yellowstone region, and at San Francisco took steamer for China [...] and returned a well man, nor has he since relapsed into his former condition. (139-41) Beard’s characterization of "Mr. O" is fascinating in several ways. First, he is the prototypical neurasthenic--worn out, depressed, full of "baseless" fears. More interestingly, for the purposes of this study, part of the patient’s cure is effected in the "Yellowstone region," which would ultimately be made a national park by neurasthenic outdoors man Theodore Roosevelt. This natural space, hewn from the wilds of the American frontier, is a prototypical refuge for nervous "brain-workers" in need of rejuvenation. This approach to treatment is especially intriguing given the setting of Book II of The Professor's House: an isolated Mesa in the Southwest. While St. Peter himself doesn’t undertake an exercise cure, "Tom Outland’s Story" does mimic the form and rhetoric of treatment for male neurasthenics, possibly accounting for the odd narrative structure of the novel. Cather, then, not only acknowledges the cultural phenomenon of neurasthenia, but incorporates it in the structure of the text. Outland’s experience on the mesa (mediated, we must remember, by the neurasthenic St. Peter, who relates the tale) is consistent with what Jackson Lears has termed the "cult of strenuousity" prevalent in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. According to Lears neurasthenics often sought refuge in "a vitalistic cult of energy and process; and a parallel recovery of the primal, irrational sources in the human psyche, forces which had been obscured by the evasive banality of modern culture" (57). Outland, discovering the mesa valley for the first time, explains that the air there "made my mouth and nostrils smart like charged water, seemed to go to my head a little and produce a kind of exaltation" (200). Like Roosevelt and other devotees of the exercise cure, Outland (and St. Peter, via the mediation) is re-"charged" by the primal essence of the mesa. The Professor later laments, "his great drawback was [...] the fact that he had not spent his youth in the great dazzling South-west country which was the scene of his explorers’ adventures" (258). Interestingly, Outland’s rejuvenation on the mesa is cast by Cather in hyperbolically masculine terms. The notoriously phallic central tower of the cliff city, for instance, may serve as a metaphor for recovered sexual potency: It was beautifully proportioned, that tower, swelling out to a larger girth a little above the base, then growing slender again. There was something symmetrical and powerful about the swell of the masonry. The tower was the fine thing that held all the jumble of houses together and made them mean something. It was red in color, even on that grey day. (201) Neurasthenics embraced "premodern symbols as alternatives to the vagueness of liberal Protestantism or the sterility of nineteenth-century positivism" (Lears xiii). The tower stands in striking contrast to St. Peter’s sexless marriage with Lillian, potentially reviving the Professor’s sagging neurasthenic libido. The tower also serves, in Outland’s mind, to forge meaning out of the seemingly random cluster of houses: "The notion struck me like a rifle ball that this mesa had once been like a bee-hive; it was full of little cluff-hung villages, it had been the home of a powerful tribe" (202). Outland’s discovery, cast in martial terms ("rifle ball"), reinscribes the imperialistic tendencies of the exercise cure and of Tom’s archeological endeavor itself. Tom Lutz notes that the exercise cure, steeped in Rooseveltian rhetoric, exemplified "a polemic for cultural change, a retraining, presented as a ‘return’ to heroic, natural, and manly values...The paternalism of Roosevelt’s appeal made sense against the same understanding of role which informed the cures for neurasthenia" (36). Outland seems to unconsciously concur, reflecting that "Wherever humanity has made that hardest of all starts and lifted itself out of mere brutality, is a sacred spot" (220-1). While Outland does have genuine admiration for the tribe, his language is almost always couched in terms of martial struggle, of striving against implacable odds. On a related note, George Kennan, writing in a 1908 McClure’s Magazine edited by Cather, proposed that rising suicide rates among the educated by cured by a "cultivation of what may be called the heroic spirit" (228). Cather was surely aware of this masculinizing, imperializing response to neurasthenic ennui--her poem, "Prairie Dawn," appears at the end of Kennan’s article! Outland’s excavation of Cliff City and its remains subsequently becomes an imperializing gesture, in spite of his respect for the culture. What does this mean, though, for a neurasthenic reading of The Professor’s House? In part, it acknowledges Cather’s response to and incorporation of a cultural phenomenon into the text in question. Additionally, it serves to clarify Cather’s critique of masculinist American culture and of the gendered treatment of neurasthenia. This critique is exemplified by Cather’s depiction of "Mother Eve": "Her mouth was open as if she were screaming, and her face, through all those years, had kept a look of terrible agony" (214-15). Not only does this harrowing image undermine Outland’s romantic depiction of the tribe, but it points to the moral bankruptcy of the cult of strenuousity. It is easy, Cather seems to argue, for Roosevelt and his ilk to "rough it" in the wilderness to regain their vigor, but the "real-life" wilderness experience is a far harsher and more dangerous prospect. Cather ultimately does not romanticize the mesa--she problematizes it as a site for neurasthenic recovery. More importantly, this vexed reading of the treatment suggests a vexed reading of neurasthenia and of "American Nervousness" itself. Ultimately, in spite of his best efforts to recover the intense experience of his past and of Tom Outland’s, St. Peter fails. As Mathias Schubnell explains, Cather’s "central character is trapped between a modern urban civilization to which he belongs against his will, and a pastoral, earth-bound world he yearns for but cannot regain" (97). This paradox is exemplified by the Professor’s early lament to Lillian, "’it’s been a mistake, our having a family and writing histories and getting middle-aged. We should have been picturesquely shipwrecked together when we were young’" (94). The reader, of course, recognizes the absurdity of this image--an absurdity strongly reinforced by the image of the deceased "Mother Eve" figure. These overcivilized men, Cather suggests, have no conception of what intense experience might be. That experience has been replaced, the Professor explains, by rationalizing, industrializing forces in American culture: Science hasn’t given us any new amazements, except of the superficial kind we get from witnessing dexterity and sleight-of-hand. It hasn’t given us any richer pleasures...nor any new sins--not one! Indeed, it has taken our old ones away. It’s the laboratory, not the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world. You’ll agree there is not much thrill about a physiological sin...I don’t think you help people by making their conduct of no importance--you impoverish them. (68) St. Peter, the neurasthenic humanist, gets here at the heart of his (and America’s) sickness--it has replaced the numinous and the sacred with the banal and the profane. The disorder he suffers from, once termed a sin, has become "physiological," as has his soul. It is worthwhile to contrast the Professor’s lament with Beard’s supremely rational boast: "It would seem, indeed, that diseases which are here described represent a certain amount of force in the body which, if our knowledge of physiological chemistry were more precise, might be measured in units" (115). The banal, utterly practical measuring of depression, of melancholia, of humanity’s every whim and caprice, Cather suggests, has dulled the luster of human existence. The Professor’s tub, then, becomes an emblem of the relentless stripping away of all that is meaningful and real in Cather’s culture: "Many a night, after blowing out his study lamp, he had leaped into that tub, clad in his pyjamas, to give it another coat of some one of the many paints that were advertised to behave like porcelain, but didn’t" (12). Porcelain here becomes the religion or art which once sustained the race, replaced by the false claims of science. The Professor, though, seems too world-weary, too embittered to actually turn to religious faith. Perhaps God is dead in his world, eliminated by the Faustian quest for scientific knowledge. "His career, his wife, his family, were not his life at all, but a chain of events which had happened to him" (264). Godfrey St. Peter, like the rest of the neurasthenics, is doomed to an incurable sickness, victim of a spiritual epidemic which, Cather suggests, will not soon run its course. References Beard, George M. A Practical Treatise on Nervous Exhaustion (Neurasthenia). A. D. Rockwell, ed. New York: E.B. Treat & Company, 1905. Cather, Willa. The Professor’s House. London: Virago, 1981. Fisher-Wirth, Ann. "Dispossession and Redemption in the Novels of Willa Cather." Cather Studies 1 (1990): 36-54. Harvey, Sally Peltier. Predefining the American Dream: The Novels of Willa Cather. Toronto: Associated UP, 1995. Hilgart, John. "Death Comes for the Aesthete: Commodity Culture and the Artifact in Cather’s The Professor’s House." Studies in the Novel 30:3 (Fall 1998): 377-404. Kennan, George. McClure’s Magazine 30:2 (June 1908): 218-228. Lears, T.J. Jackson. No Place of Grace: Antimodernism and the Transformation American Culture. New York: Pantheon Books, 1981. Lutz, Tom. American Nervousness, 1903: An Anecdotal History. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1991. Schubnell, Matthias. "The Decline of America: Willa Cather’s Spenglerian Vision in The Professor’s House." Cather Studies 2 (1993): 92-117. Stouck, David. "Willa Cather and The Professor’s House: ‘Letting Go with the Heart." Western American Literature 7 (1972): 13-24. Will, Barbara. "Nervous Systems, 1880-1915." American Bodies: Cultural Histories of the Physique. Tim Armstrong, ed. New York: NYUP, 1996. 86-100. Links The Willa Cather Electronic Archive The Mower's Tree (Cather Colloquium Newsletter) George Beard information