bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Joint Dynamic Pricing of Multiple Perishable Products Under Consumer Choice
Authors: Akçay Yalçın , Natarajan Harihara Prasad , Xu Susan H.
Published: May 2010

In response to competitive pressures, firms are increasingly adopting revenue management opportunities afforded by advances in information and communication technologies. Motivated by these revenue management initiatives in industry, we consider a dynamic pricing problem facing a firm that sells given initial inventories of multiple substitutable and perishable products over a finite selling horizon. Because the products are substitutable, individual product demands are linked through consumer choice processes. Hence, the seller must formulate a joint dynamic pricing strategy while explicitly incorporating consumer behavior. For an integrative model of consumer choice based on linear random consumer utilities, we model this multiproduct dynamic pricing problem as a stochastic dynamic program and analyze its optimal prices. The consumer choice model allows us to capture the linkage between product differentiation and consumer choice, and readily specializes to the cases of vertically and horizontally differentiated assortments. When products are vertically differentiated, our results show monotonicity properties (with respect to quality, inventory, and time) of the optimal prices and reveal that the optimal price of a product depends on higher quality product inventories only through their aggregate inventory rather than individual availabilities. Furthermore, we show that the price of a product can be decomposed into the price of its adjacent lower quality product and a markup over this price, with the markup depending solely on the aggregate inventory. We exploit these properties to develop a polynomial-time, exact algorithm for determining the optimal prices and the profit. For a horizontally differentiated assortment, we show that the profit function is unimodal in prices. We also show that individual, rather than aggregate, product inventory availability drives pricing. However, we find that monotonicity properties observed in vertically differentiated assortments do not hold.
Is Regime Switching in Stock Returns Important in Portfolio Decisions?
Authors: Tu Jun
Published: May 2010

The stock market displays regime switching between upturns and downturns. This paper provides a Bayesian framework for making portfolio decisions that takes this regime switching into account, together with asset pricing model uncertainty and parameter uncertainty. The findings reveal that the economic value of accounting for regimes is substantially independent of whether or not model and parameter uncertainties are incorporated: the certainty-equivalent losses associated with ignoring regime switching are generally above 2% per year and can be as high as 10%. These results suggest that the more realistic regime switching model is fundamentally different from the commonly used single-state model, and hence should be employed instead in portfolio decisions irrespective of concerns about model or parameter uncertainty.
Prediabetes is not all about obesity: association between plasma leptin and prediabetes in lean rural Chinese adults
Authors: Wang Guoying , Liu Xin , Christoffel Katherine Kaufer , Zhang Shanchun , Wang Binyan , Liu Rong , Li Zhiping , Liu Xue , Brickman Wendy J , Zimmerman Donald , Xu Xiping , Wang Xiaobin
Published: May 2010

Objective

This study investigated the associations of plasma leptin levels with insulin resistance (IR) and prediabetes in relatively lean, rural Chinese men and women.

Design and methods

This study included 574 subjects aged 21–45 years from a community-based twin cohort. Plasma leptin concentrations were measured by sandwich immunoassays using flowmetric xMAP technology. Prediabetes was defined based on fasting plasma glucose and 75-g oral glucose tolerance test. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate gender-specific associations of leptin with IR measures and prediabetes, adjusting for intra-twin correlation, measures of adiposity, and other pertinent covariates.

Results

The body mass index is 22.3±2.7 kg/m2 in men and 22.5±2.7 kg/m2 in women. Leptin levels were positively associated with IR. Individuals with higher tertiles of leptin also had increased risk of prediabetes with odds ratios (OR) of 2.6 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.4–5.1) and 4.3 (95% CI: 2.1–8.7) in men; OR of 1.1 (95% CI: 0.6–2.1) and 3.1 (95% CI 1.5–6.2) in women for second and third tertile respectively. These associations were attenuated after further adjusting for adiposity measurements only in men. The leptin–prediabetes associations disappeared after adjusting for the homeostatic model assessment of IR in both genders.

Conclusion

In this sample of relatively lean rural Chinese adults, plasma leptin levels were associated with IR and prediabetes in a dose–response fashion, which were not totally explained by adiposity. Our data emphasize that prediabetes is not all about obesity, and leptin may be an additional biomarker for screening individuals at high risk for prediabetes in this population.
Is there a role for endocannabinoids in sperm–oviduct interaction?
Authors: Talevi R , Barbato V , De Iorio S , Mollo V , Capriglione T , Ricchiari L , Samo A , Gualtieri R
Published: May 2010

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been found in reproductive cells and tissues in several mammals. Spermatozoa are able to respond to anandamide, and the oviduct is able to synthesize and modulate the concentration of this endocannabinoid along the isthmic and ampullary regions. The main aim of this study was to understand whether the ECS has a role during sperm storage and release within the oviduct in cattle. Data showed that 1) the endocannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) are present in bovine spermatozoa both in the initial ejaculate and in spermatozoa bound to the oviduct in vitro; 2) CB1 receptor is still detectable in spermatozoa released from the oviduct through penicillamine but not in those released through heparin; 3) arachidonylethanolamide (AEA) does not affect sperm viability, whereas it depresses sperm progressive motility and kinetic values; 4) sperm–oviduct binding and release in vitro are not influenced by AEA; 5) AEA depresses sperm–zona pellucida (ZP) binding; 6) binding of heparin-capacitated spermatozoa to the ZP is not affected by AEA; 7) N-acylphosphatidylethanolamine-selective phospholipase D, the main enzyme involved in anandamide synthesis, is expressed in oviductal epithelial cells. In conclusion, secretion of AEA from epithelial cells might contribute to the oviduct sperm-reservoir function, prolonging the sperm fertile life through the depression of motility and capacitation. Capacitation signals, such as heparin, that promote sperm release, might remodel the sperm surface and cause a loss of the sperm sensitivity to AEA.
(Pre-)Clinical Pharmacology and Activity of Pazopanib, a Novel Multikinase Angiogenesis Inhibitor
Authors: Hamberg Paul , Verweij Jaap , Sleijfer Stefan
Published: May 2010

Pazopanib is a recently approved, novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor specifically designed to impair angiogenesis by abrogating vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) to exert its function. Pazopanib inhibits VEGF-induced endothelial cell proliferation in vitro and angiogenesis in vivo and demonstrates antitumor activity in mouse models. Furthermore, the pazopanib concentration resulting in maximal inhibition of VEGFR-2 phosphorylation in vivo was in line with the steady-state concentration required to inhibit growth of tumor xenografts, suggesting that pazopanib's mechanism of action is indeed through VEGFR-2 inhibition.

In a phase I trial, a generally well-tolerated dose was identified at which the majority of patients achieved pazopanib plasma concentrations above the concentration required for maximal in vivo inhibition of VEGFR-2 phosphorylation in preclinical models. Administered as monotherapy, evidence of antitumor activity was observed in phase II studies in several tumor types, including soft tissue sarcoma, renal cell cancer (RCC), ovarian cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval for treatment with pazopanib in patients with RCC based on the longer progression-free survival time observed with this agent in a placebo-controlled, randomized trial. This review summarizes the preclinical and clinical pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of pazopanib, as well as data on clinical activity, that ultimately resulted in its recent approval.
Adaptive quadtree simulation of sediment transport
Authors: Huang J. , Borthwick A. G. L. , Soulsby R. L.
Published: May 2010

Morphodynamic change is a key factor in the development of river systems. This paper describes a two-dimensional model of fluvial bed morphodynamics, with the flow hydrodynamics represented by the hyperbolic non-linear shallow water equations and the bed morphodynamics by the bed deformation equation. Bed load transport is estimated using a simple expression. Suspended sediment transport is not considered. The model uses a deviatoric form of the non-linear shallow water equations that mathematically balances the source and flux gradient terms at equilibrium, including the effects of non-uniform bed topography. The governing equations are solved in a decoupled way, using a Godunov-type finite-volume solver for the non-linear shallow water equations and second-order finite differences for the bed deformation equation, both based on adaptive quadtree grids. The evolution of a sandbar in an open channel is tested against generalised approximate analytical solutions. The numerical predictions on adaptive quadtree grids are found to be in excellent agreement with the approximate analytical solutions within the range of validity of the latter. Results are also presented for the evolution of a sand dune and a sandpit. It is demonstrated that the de-coupled shallow flow and bed morphodynamics calculations are computationally efficient and accurate. It is shown that the use of adaptive quadtree grids leads to a much improved computational performance over that on an equivalent fine resolution fixed uniform grid.
Strategic asset management modelling of infrastructure assets
Authors: Stratford D. , Stevens T. , Hamilton M. , Dray A.
Published: May 2010

Network Rail owns tens of thousands of civil engineering assets in the UK which include more than 40 000 bridges, 15 000 km of earthworks and 200 km of sea defences. In order to manage this diverse and ageing infrastructure a model was required to forecast the level of expenditure needed to meet defined levels of service that recognises the variation in types of asset, individual condition and the intensity of use of each asset. The model allowed Network Rail to plan its programme of maintenance work on civil engineering assets to achieve long-term objectives and provided essential information in preparation for periodic submissions for funding to the Office of Rail Regulation. Recognising that each asset could be managed in a number of ways, Mouchel provided modelling support to forecast the expenditure and performance implications for a range of policies. By selecting the policies to be applied to different groups of structures, Network Rail was able to investigate the implications of applying different combinations of policies to groups of assets, or assets on specific railway routes. This enabled Network Rail to identify a preferred maintenance approach according to funding levels and immediate performance requirements with full recognition of the long-term implications. The models utilised Bayesian statistical methods to deal with the large number of assets and optimising routines to ensure that structures were managed efficiently over the long term.
Numerical solution of crack problems in gradient elasticity
Authors: Papanicolopulos S.-A. , Zervos A.
Published: May 2010

Gradient elasticity is a constitutive framework that takes into account the microstructure of an elastic material. It considers that, in addition to the strains, second-order derivatives of the displacement also affect the energy stored in the medium. Three different yet equivalent forms of gradient elasticity can be found in the literature, reflecting the different ways in which the second-order derivatives can be grouped to form other physically meaningful quantities. This paper presents a general discretisation of gradient elasticity that can be applied to all three forms, based on the finite-element displacement formulation. The presence of higher order terms requires C1-continuous interpolation, and some appropriate two- and three-dimensional elements are presented. Numerical results for the displacement, stress and strain fields around cracks are shown and compared with available solutions, demonstrating the robustness and accuracy of the numerical scheme and investigating the effect of microstructure in the context of fracture mechanics.
Influence of bracings on the stability of a truss
Authors: Vieira R. F. , Requena J. A. V.
Published: May 2010

This article analyses the stability of a three-dimensional reticulate steel truss composed of deformable bars, with the particular goal of studying the influence of bracings. The bars are assumed to be deformable by bending, axial forces, shearing forces and torsion. A computer program was developed to determine the critical loading of the structure by taking into account geometric non-linearity. The stiffness matrix technique is used to describe the structural response in three dimensions. Three-dimensional stiffness functions (stability functions) were developed to consider simultaneous bending effects, shearing force, axial force and torsion. Global instability is considered to have been achieved when a given loading introduces singularities in the global stiffness matrix. When the critical loading has been determined, it is possible to determine global instability parameters such as effective buckling coefficients. Truss examples are presented and compared with Ansys results to demonstrate the potential of the process.
Geohazards and large, geographically distributed systems
Authors: O'ROURKE T.D.
Published: May 2010

A general classification for scale in geotechnical engineering is used to explore the modelling of large, geographically distributed systems and their response to geohazards. Both component and network performance are reviewed. With respect to components, prototype-scale experiments of underground pipeline response to abrupt ground deformation are described, including control of soil properties, soil–pipeline interaction, and performance of high-density polyethylene pipelines. Direct shear (DS) apparatus size is shown to have a significant effect on DS strength, and the most reliable DS device is identified from comparative tests with different equipment. Mohr–Coulomb strength parameters for partially saturated sand are developed from DS test data and applied in finite element simulations of soil–pipeline interaction that show excellent agreement with prototype-scale experimental results. Apparent cohesion measured during shear failure of partially saturated sand is caused by suction-induced dilatancy. With respect to networks, the modelling of liquefaction effects on the San Francisco water supply is described, and a case history of its successful application during the Loma Prieta earthquake is presented. The systematic analysis of pipeline repair records after the Northridge earthquake is used to identify zones of potential ground failure, and correlate pipeline damage rates with strong ground motion. Hydraulic network analyses are described for the seismic performance of the Los Angeles water supply, with practical applications for emergency response. The effects of Hurricane Katrina are reviewed with respect to the New Orleans hurricane protection system, Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production, and interaction between electric power and liquid fuel delivery systems. The sustainability of the Mississippi delta is discussed with regard to flood control, maintenance of wetlands and barrier islands, and catastrophic change in the course of the Mississippi River.
Strain path controlled shear tests on an analogue granular material
Authors: IBRAIM E. , LANIER J. , WOOD D.MUIR , VIGGIANI G.
Published: May 2010

A series of strain controlled tests have been performed on a two-dimensional analogue granular material, composed of three different sizes of rods, in a special laboratory apparatus which permits full control of plane deformations, including rotation of principal axes. These tests have been designed and used to explore certain constitutive conjectures concerning the mechanical behaviour of granular materials. The results, within the accuracy of the apparatus, show that irrespective of the initial stress history of the material, proportional strain paths (if continued for long enough) lead to proportional stress states (asymptotic states). The asymptotic states appear to be independent of the fixed imposed rotation of principal strain axes and at these states coaxiality between the principal stress direction and the principal incremental strain direction seems to be reached. A stress dilatancy relationship between the imposed dilatancy and the corresponding asymptotic stress ratio has been identified.
Effect of relative density and confining pressure on Poisson ratio from bender and extender elements tests
Authors: KUMAR J. , MADHUSUDHAN B.N.
Published: May 2010

By using the bender and extender elements tests, together with measurements of the travel times of shear (S) and primary (P) waves, the variation of Poisson ratio (ν) was determined for dry sands with respect to changes in relative densities and effective confining pressures (σ3). The tests were performed for three different ranges of particle sizes. The magnitude of the Poisson ratio decreases invariably with an increase in both the relative density and the effective confining pressure. The effect of the confining pressure on the Poisson ratio was found to become relatively more significant for fine-grained sand as compared with the coarse-grained sand. For a given material, at a particular value of σ3, the magnitude of the Poisson ratio decreases, almost in a linear fashion, with an increase in the value of maximum shear modulus (Gmax). The two widely used correlations in literature, providing the relationships among Gmax, void ratio (e) and effective confining pressure (σ3), applicable for angular granular materials, were found to compare reasonably well with the present experimental data for the fine- and medium-grained sands. However, for the coarse-grained sand, these correlations tend to overestimate the values of Gmax.
A new numerical model of the corroded steel–concrete interface
Authors: Chernin L. , Val D.V. , Cairns J.
Published: May 2010

The main cause of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures is corrosion of reinforcing steel. It causes cracking and eventually spalling of the concrete cover, reduction of cross-sectional area of reinforcing steel and damage to the bond between concrete and reinforcement. The present paper concentrates on investigation of the effect of corrosion on the interface between reinforcing steel and concrete. It starts with a brief overview of existing experimental data as well as analytical and numerical models considering the corrosion-induced deterioration of the steel–concrete interface. A new model of the corroded steel–concrete interface is then developed based on available experimental data. The model takes into account two bond mechanisms, namely adhesion and friction, and includes the influence of corrosion. The interfacial model is calibrated using experimental data from pull-out tests and then implemented in an axisymmetric formulation into a finite-element numerical model. Concrete modelling includes the effect of drying shrinkage. The thermal analogy method is implemented for simulations of corrosion and drying shrinkage. Finally, the finite-element model is used to simulate pull-out tests of corroded plain round bars. Results of the finite-element simulations are presented and compared with test results.
Properties of drying shrinkage cracking of concrete containing fly ash as partial replacement of fine aggregate
Authors: Seo T. , Lee M. , Choi C. , Ohno Y.
Published: May 2010

This paper presents the results of an experimental study carried out to investigate cracking behaviour due to the long-term drying shrinkage of concrete in which the fine aggregate was partially replaced by fly ash. For the experiment, three kinds of concrete (ordinary Portland cement, FC20 and FS20) were made. The ordinary Portland cement was mixed without any fly ash, FC20 was made with fly ash in place of a portion of the cement, and FS20 was made with fly ash in place of some of the fine aggregate. The uniaxial restrained shrinkage cracking test was carried out to investigate the properties of drying shrinkage cracking, and the mechanical properties of concrete (compressive strength, splitting strength, drying shrinkage and creep) were evaluated. The properties of drying shrinkage cracking of the FS20 and FC20 were almost the same regardless of the fly ash replacement method, and were a little superior to the drying shrinkage cracking of the ordinary Portland cement.
Reducing drying shrinkage of concrete by treatment of aggregate
Authors: Kwan A.K.H. , Fung W.W.S. , Wong H.H.C.
Published: May 2010

Drying shrinkage of concrete has been found to cause cracking, water leakage and other serviceability problems and is thus an important research topic. In early studies, it has been found that the shrinkage of concrete varies with the rock aggregate used. This is partly because the aggregate also shrinks and the shrinkage of aggregate is dependent on the type of rock from which the aggregate is derived. However, there have been few studies on the shrinkage of rock and how the shrinkage of aggregate would affect the shrinkage of concrete. In this study, the shrinkage of the granite rock in Hong Kong was measured. It has been found that the rock shrinks quite substantially upon drying and that its shrinkage is dependent on the initial moisture condition. Based on such observation, two alternative methods of treating the aggregate before use so as to reduce the shrinkage of concrete are proposed. Long-term shrinkage measurement of concrete made with untreated and treated aggregates revealed that the proposed methods of aggregate treatment, which are still rudimentary, can significantly reduce the shrinkage of concrete.
Expansive fracture agent behaviour for concrete cracking
Authors: Laefer D.F. , Ambrozevitch-Cooper N. , Huynh M.P. , Midgette J. , Ceribasi S. , Wortman J.
Published: May 2010

Increasing concerns regarding litigation and terrorism provide a strong dual motivation to decrease high explosives usage in the construction industry. This paper provides parameter considerations and initial guidelines for the application of expansive fracture agents, typically used for concrete and soft rock removal. This approach may be especially appropriate near environmentally and historically sensitive sites. Thirty-three unreinforced blocks (approximately three-quarters of a cubic metre each) of varying strengths, composed of sand, cement, and fly ash, were tested under various temperature environments, with differing expansive agents, confinement levels and post-cracking treatments. Cracking characteristics such as crack initiation and crack expansion were analysed. Although the performance of expansive cement was dependent on a highly complex set of variable interactions, higher ambient temperatures, higher agent mixture temperatures and chemical configuration designed for colder temperatures decreased the time to first crack and hastened the extent of cracking. Conversely, higher strength material required more time to first crack, as well as an extended time to achieve a 25·4 mm wide crack. Manual interference with the normal material volume expansion slowed the cracking process but did not truncate it, while the manufacturer's recommendation to introduce water post-cracking actually reduced and slowed the extent of cracking.
The Effects of Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs) on Student Performance and Learning: A Literature Review
Authors: DiGregorio Peter , Sobel-Lojeski Karen
Published: May 2010

Many K-12 and higher-ed schools in both the United States and the United Kingdom have made a substantial investment in interactive whiteboard technology. Interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are generally perceived by students and teachers as a positive addition to the classroom learning environment. While there is support for links between IWBs and increases in student motivation, questions remain about the relationship between IWBs, student learning, and achievement. In this study a literature review was conducted to better understand the research to date in this area. Several common themes surfaced including the effect of IWBs on pedagogy, motivation, interaction, perception, learning, and achievement. In addition, the research suggests that these effects are related to contextual factors such as teacher training, teacher confidence, school culture, technical support, and lesson preparation and practice time. An IWB framework is suggested and directions for future research are also discussed.
Structure and Substance in Digital Communication
Authors: Thomas David A. , Sa Livia , Li Zhongxiao , Maddux Cleborne D.
Published: May 2010

A growing trend in post-secondary education is the supplementing of classroom discourse with online discourse. This new discourse is often situated in social networking and course management applications. There are several reasons for the move toward online discourse. Wide availability of new hardware and software has played a role. Even more important is an emerging consensus that our societal, economic, and individual futures depend on our capacity to engage complex issues in a collaborative manner. However, this new technology and the techniques they make possible have introduced new problems. Many instructors are finding it more difficult to monitor, evaluate, and direct class discourse. Social network analysis and content analysis can provide the means to understand the structure of online, digital discourse and the content of digital documents.
Survey of Three Different Methods of Delivering Engineering Content in Lectures
Authors: Lumkes John H.
Published: May 2010

There has been a rapid increase in the use of technology in university classrooms. Many university classrooms and laboratories include an overhead projection unit, computer, and connections for laptops. More recently, tablet PCs have been investigated as another way to effectively engage students in a classroom environment. This study summarizes the results of student surveys comparing three different lecture delivery methods: using complete PowerPoint slides and handouts, using traditional chalkboard lectures without handouts, and using skeleton PowerPoint slides and handouts. Both PowerPoint lectures were delivered through a Tablet PC with a wireless link to an LCD projector, allowing for instructor mobility. Second year engineering students were asked to evaluate six learning assessment statements and to provide written feedback regarding the strengths and weaknesses for each of the three methods. Using the Tablet PC resulted in the highest overall scores but with much variance between the six survey questions.
Web Conferencing Software in University-Level, E-Learning-Based, Technical Courses
Authors: Coffey John W.
Published: May 2010

Faculty who offer university-level technical courses through e-Learning environments must surmount several difficult challenges. Traditionally, learning in technical courses takes place through real-time interactions between instructor and students in the course of solving actual problems—a form of activity that is not possible in asynchronous e-Learning systems. The current study contains an account of experiences gained in using Web Conferencing software to provide a spoken synchronous component to a project-oriented senior-level computer science class. Strengths and weaknesses of this undertaking and a sketch of a different type of hybrid course are presented. While the discourse in this article is focused on computer science, principles put forth are applicable to teaching and learning in any technical field.
An Ideological Derivative toward the Origins of Territoriality and Early Sedentism in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Pagoulatos Peter
Published: May 2010

Early/Middle Archaic (10,000-6000 B.P.) mortuary practices are very poorly understood in the Northeastern United States. Traditionally, the Late Archaic has been considered a period of dramatic population rises, which coincided with settlement system shifts, increased cultural complexity, and highly ritualized burial ceremonialism. However, recent data indicate that increasingly complex mortuary patterns had already emerged by the Early/Middle Archaic. While the mid-Atlantic and southern New England were characterized by higher residential mobility and simple (expedient) interments, corresponding to Territorial Transhumance, data from northern New England are typified by logistical mobility and more complex formal cemeteries, reflecting Territorial Sedentism. Also, complex mortuary ceremonialism by the Early/Middle Archaic appears to have emerged without evidence for corresponding resource, technological, or social intensification. Therefore, I suggest that pre-Late Archaic ideological intensification resulted in territoriality and early sedentism, and was the “trigger” that led to subsequent increased cultural complexity in the Northeast.
Revised Energy Conversion Factor for Inulin-Type Fructans and Implications for Resource Ranking in Optimal Foraging Theory
Authors: Leach Jeff D.
Published: May 2010

Current conversion factors for calculating the contribution of carbohydrates to food energy are reviewed in light of recent advances in food science. The undigested carbohydrate inulin, which is present in many economically important plants, resists digestion by alimentary enzymes in the upper gastrointestinal system of humans, and reaches the colon chemically intact where it undergoes partial or complete fermentation by endogenous bacterial flora. Current internationally accepted conversion factors for estimating energy (calories) specify that all carbohydrates provide 4 kcal per gram. However, inulin-type fructans fulfill all necessary criteria as a dietary fiber and during fermentation produce short-chain fatty acids that are utilized by the host for energy and should be assigned the energy conversion factor of 1.5 kcal per gram. The significance of assigning 1.5 kcal per gram vs. 4 kcal per gram to this carbohydrate when ranking resources in optimal foraging theory is illustrated in the caloric return rate of two commonly pit-baked desert plants from semi-arid North America.
Scaling Up Local Perceptions of Poverty to Country Level: A Proof of Concept for Rural Honduras
Authors: Leclerc Gregoire
Published: May 2010

This work is about bringing together different perceptions of poverty to improve the design of poverty alleviation policies. A case study in Honduras shows how locally derived poverty indicators, developed from village‐level participatory appraisals of perceptions of poverty, can be extrapolated to country level using raw census data. The “well‐being index,” an average of several indicators, is robust and reflects actual local perceptions with 90% accuracy at village level. Because the index includes information that corresponds to the real‐life situation of the poor, I suggest that policymakers consider building and using such bottom‐up indicators. This implies a shift from economic to critical thinking that would lead to policies that are more easily adopted and monitored locally.
Poverty and Well‐Being in Indian Cities During the Reforms Era
Authors: Chandrasekhar S. , Mukhopadhyay Abhiroop
Published: May 2010

This paper seeks to understand temporal changes in poverty and well‐being in Indian cities during the era of economic reforms. The evidence on improvements in well being is mixed. During this period, there was an increase in the number of urban poor. Using two nationally representative samples, we compare the joint distribution of monthly per capita expenditure (a private good) and access to drainage (a public good) in slums and non‐slum areas of Indian cities to understand changes in well being. A comparison at two points in time, 1993 and 2002, suggests that the share of slum dwellers in urban poor has declined. However, we do not find evidence for improvement in the well‐being of slum dwellers over time. We do find that non‐slum urban dwellers are better off in 2002 compared to 1993.
Best Practices in Policy Creation and Administration in Meeting Housing Needs for People with Disabilities and Their Families: A Case Study in Ottawa County, Michigan
Authors: Beard Virginia Parish
Published: May 2010

For people with disabilities across the spectrum of disability categories, there is a need for better understanding of current and projected housing needs options. What housing, programs and policies exist to serve the disability community? How are policies and programs for people with disabilities, their families and caregivers being implemented? What gaps remain in the knowledge about housing and disability as well as in policy and implementation/administration arenas surrounding housing for people with disabilities and their families? Through a participatory action process, this project seeks to improve understanding and policy and program recommendations on housing options for the disability community. The topics identified as central to housing for the disability community that need better understanding include affordability of housing, accessibility, available individual supports and access to community amenities, such as transportation, that exist or are lacking. Through review of current data and a collection of new data in the form of a case study from Ottawa County, Michigan, this project will work to improve understanding and create a set of recommendations regarding housing options for people with disabilities, their families, and their caregivers.
The Latent and Sequential Costs of Being Poor: An Exploration of Housing
Authors: Duke‐Lucio Joanna , Peck Laura R , Segal Elizabeth A
Published: May 2010

This paper explores unexamined housing costs that families incur by virtue of their low income. We build on a paradigm that identifies some unmeasured costs of being poor as latent (hidden and not counted in other poverty measures) and sequential (consequential with subsequent cost implications). Using data from in‐depth interviews with cash assistance recipients and working poor heads of household, we explore these latent and sequential costs of poverty related to housing. We observe a variety of housing‐related experiences regarding amenities and structure, stability, money outlays, and neighborhood characteristics. These experiences have associated with them latent and sequential costs that involve lack of safety, poor physical health, poor mental health, exhausting social capital, hopelessness, poor education, and diminished life opportunities, all of which have important financial and non‐financial implications for families.
Traps, Pitfalls, and Unexpected Cliffs on the Path Out of Poverty
Authors: Prenovost Mary A , Youngblood Deborah C.
Published: May 2010

A qualitative study was conducted to explore “cliff effects,” the overall dip in household resources when working poor families become ineligible for government work supports. The study included a survey of 78 low‐income women and 32 social service providers, followed by interviews with smaller subsets of each. We asked how low‐income women who are either on the verge of government support loss or who have recently experienced government support loss manage this circumstance and explored the effects on families' well‐being. We found that the participants with the highest average income ($34,000/year) were doing worse in terms of their well‐being than those with lower incomes. We recommend updating eligibility work support criteria and increasing support levels, developing “cliff effect trainings” for social service providers, and improving accessibility to higher education for working parents.
Benefit Incidence of Public Education and Health Spending Worldwide: Evidence From A New Database
Authors: Davoodi Hamid R. , Tiongson Erwin R , Asawanuchit Sawitree Sachjapinan
Published: May 2010

This paper compiles a new database on the benefit incidence of public education and health spending covering 56 countries over 1960–2000. The database represents a significant improvement in quality and coverage over existing compilations. First, it covers a broader set of industrial and developing countries. Second, it provides information on benefit incidence over time. Third, the database reports auxiliary identifiers of a benefit incidence analysis, allowing for consistent comparisons within and across countries. The database is used to ascertain which income groups tend to benefit more from social spending. We also explore the relationship between benefit incidence on the one hand and indicators of access to education and health services and social outcomes on the other, using simple measures of association. The paper explores policy implications of these findings. Researchers interested in analyzing the effectiveness of social spending and the role of government would find the database an invaluable tool for further analyses.
Dwight Macdonald and Poverty Discourse, 1960‐1965: The Art and Power of a Seminal Book Review
Authors: Keefe Linda M
Published: May 2010

This paper examines the role Dwight Macdonald and his review essay “Our Invisible Poor” (New Yorker, January 1963) played in bringing American poverty into U.S. public discourse in the early 1960s. Macdonald's article furthered the discussion about poverty that Michael Harrington's book, The Other America, had begun the previous year. It thereby spurred legislative action to remedy the social ills of American poverty through the Kennedy/Johnson administrations' War on Poverty by 1965. Set within a complex matrix of social, cultural, political, and historical forces, Macdonald's article was widely read, expansively disseminated, and had an important impact on legislation. This essay is built upon the scholarship of David Paul Nord and his ideas about communities of journalism. The impact of Macdonald's essay is examined through a review of secondary sources and primary research in Macdonald's papers, the New Yorker archives, and discourse analysis of New York Times coverage.
Review of Reducing Global Poverty: Patterns of Potential Human Progress, Vol. 1
Authors: Soltys Dennis
Published: May 2010

Dennis Soltys, author of Education for Decline: Soviet Vocational and Technical Schooling from Khrushchev to Gorbachev (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997), reviews this book that discusses poverty and the human condition in many of the poorest regions around the globe.
Editor's Letter
Authors: Skidmore Max J.
Published: May 2010

Max J. Skidmore, Editor‐In‐Chief of Poverty & Public Policy, maps out the lineup of articles for Volume 2, Issue 2.
Review of The Power of a Promise: Education and Economic Renewal in Kalamazoo
Authors: Skidmore Max J.
Published: May 2010

Max J. Skidmore reviews The Power of a Promise: Education and Economic Renewal in Kalamazoo by Michelle Miller‐Adams, who analyzes extraordinary efforts by anonymous donors to combat poverty and enhance economic development—literally to create economic renewal—in that Michigan city.
Unbounded Hermitian operators and relative reproducing kernel Hilbert space
Authors: Jorgensen Palle
Published: May 2010

We study unbounded Hermitian operators with dense domain in Hilbert space. As is known, the obstruction for a Hermitian operator to be selfadjoint or to have selfadjoint extensions is measured by a pair of deficiency indices, and associated deficiency spaces; but in practical problems, the direct computation of these indices can be difficult. Instead, in this paper we identify additional structures that throw light on the problem. We will attack the problem of computing deficiency spaces for a single Hermitian operator with dense domain in a Hilbert space which occurs in a duality relation with a second Hermitian operator, often in the same Hilbert space.
Some new transformations for Bailey pairs and WP-Bailey pairs
Authors: Mc Laughlin James
Published: May 2010

We derive several new transformations relating WP-Bailey pairs. We also consider the corresponding transformations relating standard Bailey pairs, and as a consequence, derive some quite general expansions for products of theta functions which can also be expressed as certain types of Lambert series.
Anti-invariant Riemannian submersions from almost Hermitian manifolds
Authors: Ṣahin Bayram
Published: May 2010

We introduce anti-invariant Riemannian submersions from almost Hermitian manifolds onto Riemannian manifolds. We give an example, investigate the geometry of foliations which are arisen from the definition of a Riemannian submersion and check the harmonicity of such submersions. We also find necessary and sufficient conditions for a Langrangian Riemannian submersion, a special anti-invariant Riemannian submersion, to be totally geodesic. Moreover, we obtain decomposition theorems for the total manifold of such submersions.
On the hierarchies of higher order mKdV and KdV equations
Authors: Grünrock Axel
Published: May 2010

The Cauchy problem for the higher order equations in the mKdV hierarchy is investigated with data in the spaces $$
\hat H_s^r \left( \mathbb{R} \right)
$$ defined by the norm $$
\left\| {v_0 } \right\|_{\hat H_s^r \left( \mathbb{R} \right)} : = \left\| {\left\langle \xi \right\rangle ^s \widehat{v_0 }} \right\|_{L_\xi ^{r'} } , \left\langle \xi \right\rangle = \left( {1 + \xi ^2 } \right)^{\frac{1}
{2}} , \frac{1}
{r} + \frac{1}
{{r'}} = 1
$$.

Local well-posedness for the jth equation is shown in the parameter range 2 ≥ 1, r > 1, s ≥ $$
\frac{{2j - 1}}
{{2r'}}
$$. The proof uses an appropriate variant of the Fourier restriction norm method. A counterexample is discussed to show that the Cauchy problem for equations of this type is in general ill-posed in the C
0-uniform sense, if s < $$
\frac{{2j - 1}}
{{2r'}}
$$. The results for r = 2 — so far in the literature only if j = 1 (mKdV) or j = 2 — can be combined with the higher order conservation laws for the mKdV equation to obtain global well-posedness of the jth equation in H
s(ℝ) for s ≥ $$
\frac{{j + 1}}
{2}
$$, if j is odd, and for s ≥ $$
\frac{j}
{2}
$$, if j is even. — The Cauchy problem for the jth equation in the KdV hierarchy with data in $$
\hat H_s^r \left( \mathbb{R} \right)
$$ cannot be solved by Picard iteration, if r > $$
\frac{{2j}}
{{2j - 1}}
$$, independent of the size of s ∈ ℝ. Especially for j ≥ 2 we have C
2-ill-posedness in H
s(ℝ). With similar arguments as used before in the mKdV context it is shown that this problem is locally well-posed in $$
\hat H_s^r \left( \mathbb{R} \right)
$$, if 1 < r ≤ $$
\frac{{2j}}
{{2j - 1}}
$$ and $$
s > j - \frac{3}
{2} - \frac{1}
{{2j}} + \frac{{2j - 1}}
{{2r'}}
$$. For KdV itself the lower bound on s is pushed further down to $$
s > max\left( { - \frac{1}
{2} - \frac{1}
{{2r'}} - \frac{1}
{4} - \frac{{11}}
{{8r'}}} \right)
$$, where r ∈ (1,2). These results rely on the contraction mapping principle, and the flow map is real analytic.
Additively spectral-radius preserving surjections between unital semisimple commutative Banach algebras
Authors: Hatori Osamu , Hirasawa Go , Miura Takeshi
Published: May 2010

Let A and B be unital, semisimple commutative Banach algebras with the maximal ideal spaces M
A and M
B, respectively, and let r(a) be the spectral radius of a. We show that if T: A → B is a surjective mapping, not assumed to be linear, satisfying r(T(a) + T(b)) = r(a + b) for all a; b ∈ A, then there exist a homeomorphism φ: M
B → M
A and a closed and open subset K of M
B such that $$
\widehat{T\left( a \right)}\left( y \right) = \left\{ \begin{gathered}
\widehat{T\left( e \right)}\left( y \right)\hat a\left( {\phi \left( y \right)} \right) y \in K \hfill \\
\widehat{T\left( e \right)}\left( y \right)\overline {\hat a\left( {\phi \left( y \right)} \right)} y \in M_\mathcal{B} \backslash K \hfill \\
\end{gathered} \right.
$$ for all a ∈ A, where e is unit element of A. If, in addition, $$
\widehat{T\left( e \right)} = 1
$$ and $$
\widehat{T\left( {ie} \right)} = i
$$ on M
B, then T is an algebra isomorphism.
Weighted entropies
Authors: Ebanks Bruce
Published: May 2010

We present an axiomatic characterization of entropies with properties of branching, continuity, and weighted additivity. We deliberately do not assume that the entropies are symmetric. The resulting entropies are generalizations of the entropies of degree α, including the Shannon entropy as the case α = 1. Such “weighted” entropies have potential applications to the “utility of gambling” problem.
Spaces with fibered approximation property in dimension n
Authors: Banakh Taras , Valov Vesko
Published: May 2010

A metric space M is said to have the fibered approximation property in dimension n (briefly, M ∈ FAP(n)) if for any ɛ > 0, m ≥ 0 and any map g: $$
\mathbb{I}
$$
m × $$
\mathbb{I}
$$
n → M there exists a map g′: $$
\mathbb{I}
$$
m × $$
\mathbb{I}
$$
n → M such that g′ is ɛ-homotopic to g and dim g′ ({z} × $$
\mathbb{I}
$$
n) ≤ n for all z ∈ $$
\mathbb{I}
$$
m. The class of spaces having the FAP(n)-property is investigated in this paper. The main theorems are applied to obtain generalizations of some results due to Uspenskij [11] and Tuncali-Valov [10].
Solvability of a coupled system of parabolic and ordinary differential equations
Authors: Ambrazevičius Algirdas
Published: May 2010

A model of coupled parabolic and ordinary differential equations for a heterogeneous catalytic reaction is considered and the existence and uniqueness theorem of the classic solution is proved.
On the k-gamma q-distribution
Authors: Díaz Rafael , Ortiz Camilo , Pariguan Eddy
Published: May 2010

We provide combinatorial as well as probabilistic interpretations for the q-analogue of the Pochhammer k-symbol introduced by Díaz and Teruel. We introduce q-analogues of the Mellin transform in order to study the q-analogue of the k-gamma distribution.
Strong surjectivity of maps from 2-complexes into the 2-sphere
Authors: Fenille Marcio , Neto Oziride
Published: May 2010

Given a model 2-complex K
P of a group presentation P, we associate to it an integer matrix ΔP and we prove that a cellular map f: K
P → S
2 is root free (is not strongly surjective) if and only if the diophantine linear system ΔP
Y = $$
\overrightarrow {deg}
$$(f) has an integer solution, here $$
\overrightarrow {deg}
$$(f)is the so-called vector-degree of f
Degenerate triply nonlinear problems with nonhomogeneous boundary conditions
Authors: Ammar Kaouther
Published: May 2010

The paper addresses the existence and uniqueness of entropy solutions for the degenerate triply nonlinear problem: b(v)t − div α(v, ▽g(v)) = f on Q:= (0, T) × Ω with the initial condition b(v(0, ·)) = b(v
0) on Ω and the nonhomogeneous boundary condition “v = u” on some part of the boundary (0, T) × ∂Ω”. The function g is continuous locally Lipschitz continuous and has a flat region [A
1, A
2,] with A
1 ≤ 0 ≤ A
2 so that the problem is of parabolic-hyperbolic type.
Graphs with disjoint dominating and paired-dominating sets
Authors: Southey Justin , Henning Michael
Published: May 2010

A dominating set of a graph is a set of vertices such that every vertex not in the set is adjacent to a vertex in the set, while a paired-dominating set of a graph is a dominating set such that the subgraph induced by the dominating set contains a perfect matching. In this paper, we show that no minimum degree is sufficient to guarantee the existence of a disjoint dominating set and a paired-dominating set. However, we prove that the vertex set of every cubic graph can be partitioned into a dominating set and a paired-dominating set.