Humanity is rebuilding a meritocratic civilization in other world, Huron, determined not to make the same mistakes that destroyed Earth. The rules of merit that guide civilization reward individual performance and talent, but also punish those whose "deficits" threaten the future of humankind. After a century of emigration from an all but spent Earth, millions of people remain behind, facing a protracted screening process for passage to Huron. The applicants face Huron's harshest judgments.Huronic University student Camille is struggling to save the people she loves - her brothers and her boyfriend - by helping to hide their deficits from the authorities. Her own heroic father, an emigration screener who spends much of his time on Earth, is her biggest obstacle. In both geography and conviction, they are worlds apart, and his staunch defense of a heartless regime is threatening to destroy their family. Critical of a radical movement, Camille gets caught up the burgeoning protests. She continues to try to keep her family relations friendly, but loses her resolve as she learns about the dark secrets her parents have been keeping from her.

Recent empirical studies have shown an inverse relation between natural resource intensity and long-term growth, implying that the natural resources generally impede economic growth through various channels (the “natural resource curse”). This paper departs from these studies by exploring the intersectoral linkages between oil and non-oil sectors in a cross-country perspective. The paper shows that the applicability of “natural resource curse” across oilbased economies should be treated with caution as the externalities of the oil sector highly depend on the countries’ degree of oil-intensity. In particular, the results show that, in low oil-intensity economies, the incentives to strengthen both fiscal and private sector institutions lead to positive inter-sectoral externalities. In contrast, weaker incentives in high oil-intensity economies adversely affect fiscal and private sector institutions and consequently lead to negative inter-sectoral externalities.

Introduction and basic genetic principles; Genetic loci genetic polymorphisms; Aspects of statistical inference; Basics of linkage analysis; The informativeness of family data; Multipoint linkage analysis; Penetrance; Quantitative phenotypes; Numerical and computerized methods; Variability of the recombination fraction; Inconsistencies; Linkage analysis with mendelian disease loci; Nonparametric methods; Two-locus inheritance; Complex traits.

Do Canada and the United States share a special relationship, or is this just a face-saving myth, masking dependency and domination? The Politics of Linkage cuts through the rhetoric that clouds this debate by offering detailed accounts of four major bilateral disputes. It shows that the United States has not made coercive linkages between issues. In the early Cold War years, the exercise of American power over Canada was held in check by a genuinely special diplomatic culture but since then has been held back only by interest groups and institutions. This revisionist account of Canada-US relations is essential reading for anyone interested in Canadian politics, American foreign policy, or international diplomacy.

Ligand-macromolecule interactions are of fundamental importance in the control of biological processes. This book applies the principles of linkage thermodynamics to polyfunctional macromolecular systems under equilibrium conditions, and describes the binding, linkage, and feedback phenomena that lead to control of complex metabolic processes. The first chapter sets out the different processes (conformational changes, changes in state of aggregation, phase changes) involving biological macromolecules which are affected by chemical variables (such as ligands) or physical variables (such as temperature and pressure). The general effects of ligands on micromolecular conformations and interactions are illustrated with specific examples from the respiratory proteins, electron-transport proteins, and nucleic acid binding proteins. Subsequent chapters develop these themes, and describe in detail how the mathematics of regulation and control can be applied to macromolecules in biological system.

For many years, the coupler-curve atlas by Hrones and Nelson has been a valuable aid for designing four-bar linkages. Today, computers can quickly and accurately analyze displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the coupler point which traces the curve. However, even in the age of computers, an atlas is unsurpassed as a way to see relationships among these curves and choose the best for a particular design by thumbing through paper copies rather than looking at them individually or even in small groups on a computer screen. This atlas of four-bar linkage coupler-curves facilitates quick visual comparisons. The atlas aids conceptual design by allowing easy perusal of a large number of curves produced by the following linkage categories: Crank Rocker, Double Crank, Crank Slider and Inverted Crank Slider. When an acceptable design is found, the curve can be analyzed and the linkage parameters varied to improve performance by using the appropriate computer software.

This book is an introduction to the mathematical theory of design for articulated mechanical systems known as linkages. The focus is on sizing mechanical constraints that guide the movement of a work piece, or end-effector, of the system. The function of the device is prescribed as a set of positions to be reachable by the end-effector; and the mechanical constraints are formed by joints that limit relative movement. The goal is to find all the devices that can achieve a specific task. Formulated in this way the design problem is purely geometric in character. Robot manipulators, walking machines, and mechanical hands are examples of articulated mechanical systems that rely on simple mechanical constraints to provide a complex workspace for the end- effector. The principles presented in this book form the foundation for a design theory for these devices. The emphasis, however, is on articulated systems with fewer degrees of freedom than that of the typical robotic system, and therefore, less complexity. This book will be useful to mathematics, engineering and computer science departments teaching courses on mathematical modeling of robotics and other articulated mechanical systems. This new edition includes research results of the past decade on the synthesis of multi loop planar and spherical linkages, and the use of homotopy methods and Clifford algebras in the synthesis of spatial serial chains. One new chapter on the synthesis of spatial serial chains introduces numerical homotopy and the linear product decomposition of polynomial systems. The second new chapter introduces the Clifford algebra formulation of the kinematics equations of serial chain robots. Examples are use throughout to demonstrate the theory.