bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strain‐engineered atomic‐layer movements and valence‐band maximum shifts in a two‐dimensional single quintuple film of Bi2Te3
Authors: Zhao Kun , Wang Yi , Xin Chao , Sui Yu , Wang Xianjie , Wang Yang , Liu Zhiguo , Li Bingsheng
Published: September 2016

Recently, a fabricated two‐dimensional (2D) Bi2Te3 single quintuple layer (BiTe‐1QL) has demonstrated great potential in the application of electronics. However, detailed research of the deformation effect on this material is still lacking. In this paper, the deformation effects on the crystal lattice and electronic band structure of BiTe‐1QL were studied by first‐principle methods. It was found that tensile and compressive deformations in the x‐ or y‐direction on BiTe‐1QL caused both the movements of Bi and Te1 atomic layers along the x‐direction, which can be explained by minimizing the deformation‐introduced symmetry breaking. The position of the valence‐band maximum of BiTe‐1QL experienced a shift among critical points near the band edge with the applied strain. Moreover, −8% deformation in the x‐direction causes the BiTe‐1QL be a direct‐bandgap semiconductor. The theoretical investigations clarify the structural and electronic properties of quasi‐2D BiTe‐1QL, and pave the way for its potential application in electronics.
Characterization of post‐translational modifications on lysine 9 of histone H3 variants in mouse testis using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization in‐source decay
Authors: Kwak Ho‐Geun , Dohmae Naoshi
Published: September 2016

Rationale

Post‐translational modifications (PTMs) of histones result in changes to transcriptional activities and chromatin remodeling. Lysine 9 of histone H3 (H3K9) is subject to PTMs, such as methylation and acetylation, which influence histone activity during spermatogenesis. Characterization strategies for studying PTMs on H3K9 have been developed to provide epigenetic and proteomic information. Proteomic analysis has been used to limited success to study PTMs on H3K9; however, a comprehensive analytical approach is required to elucidate global patterns of PTMs of H3 variants during spermatogenesis.

Methods

Intact H3 variants in mouse testis were separated by high‐performance liquid chromatography on a reversed‐phase column with an ion‐pairing reagent. Modifications to H3K9 were identified via top‐down analysis using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization in source decay (MALDI‐ISD).

Results

Mono‐, di‐, and tri‐methylations were identified at H3K9 in mouse testis and epididymis. These modifications were also observed in testis‐specific histone H3 (H3t). Specifically, tri‐methylation was more abundant on H3tK9 than on K9 of other H3 variants.

Conclusions

We introduce a method for rapid, simple, and comprehensive characterization of PTMs on the N‐termini of H3 variants using MALDI‐ISD. This approach provides novel and useful information, including K9 modifications on H3t, which would benefit epigenetic and proteomic research. © 2016 The Authors. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The Cellular Prion Protein Controls Notch Signaling in Neural Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Martin-Lannerée Séverine , Halliez Sophie , Hirsch Théo Z. , Hernandez-Rapp Julia , Passet Bruno , Tomkiewicz Céline , Villa-Diaz Ana , Torres Juan-Maria , Launay Jean-Marie , Béringue Vincent , Vilotte Jean-Luc , Mouillet-Richard Sophie
Published: September 2016

The prion protein is infamous for its involvement in a group of neurodegenerative diseases known as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies. In the longstanding quest to decipher the physiological function of its cellular isoform, PrPC, the discovery of its participation to the self-renewal of hematopoietic and neural stem cells has cast a new spotlight on its potential role in stem cell biology. However, still little is known on the cellular and molecular mechanisms at play. Here, by combining in vitro and in vivo murine models of PrPC depletion, we establish that PrPC deficiency severely affects the Notch pathway, which plays a major role in neural stem cell maintenance. We document that the absence of PrPC in a neuroepithelial cell line or in primary neurospheres is associated with drastically reduced expression of Notch ligands and receptors, resulting in decreased levels of Notch target genes. Similar alterations of the Notch pathway are recovered in the neuroepithelium of Prnp−/− embryos during a developmental window encompassing neural tube closure. In addition, in line with Notch defects, our data show that the absence of PrPC results in altered expression of Nestin and Olig2 as well as N-cadherin distribution. We further provide evidence that PrPC controls the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) downstream from Notch. Finally, we unveil a negative feedback action of EGFR on both Notch and PrPC. As a whole, our study delineates a molecular scenario through which PrPC takes part to the self-renewal of neural stem and progenitor cells.
The Effect of Cross‐Border Mergers and Acquisitions on Earnings Quality: Evidence from China
Authors: (Sara) Ding Xiaoya , Mo Jiaying , Zhong Ligang
Published: September 2016

Despite the fruitful research on the motives and outcomes of cross‐border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) of Chinese multinational corporations (MNCs), there has been scant research on the impact of cross‐border M&As on corporate governance. In this article, we fill the research gap by exploring whether cross‐border M&As may lead to an improvement in corporate governance of Chinese acquirers. In particular, we examine the impact of cross‐border M&As on earnings quality of Chinese MNCs. We find that the acquisition of a target firm from a developed country leads to a significant improvement on the acquirer's earnings quality. In comparison, the acquisition of a target from an emerging market does not have such an impact. Our results are robust to various corporate governance measures, alternative econometric methods, and controls of relevant firm characteristics and macroeconomic variables. Finally, we show that the effect of cross‐border M&As on earnings quality is more pronounced in non‐state‐owned enterprises (non‐SOEs) that have conducted large M&A deals. Our article offers new insight to the international business literature on latecomer perspective and liability of foreignness. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Additional evidence on transparency and bank financial performance
Authors: Akhigbe Aigbe , McNulty James E. , Stevenson Bradley A.
Published: September 2016

Transparency expands the market for a firm's stock and lowers the cost of capital. Previous research measures bank transparency by analyst following and the standard deviation of analyst earnings per share forecasts and finds that transparency has a positive effect on bank financial performance. An earlier theoretical study in the market micro structure literature suggests that return volatility and trading volume are important measures of transparency. We examine the relation between transparency and bank holding company (BHC) profit efficiency using these four measures of transparency for 1996 through 2014. Our two stage least squares regression analysis indicates that transparency has a positive effect on bank financial performance. This is not a size effect as the result holds in each of three size categories. This is an important finding given that the recent financial crisis was characterized by a lack of transparency at a number of banking institutions.
Tsunamis on the Russian Pacific coast: history and current situation
Authors: Gusiakov V.K.
Published: September 2016

The Pacific coast, including the Kamchatka Peninsula, the Kuriles, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Bering Sea, is the main tsunami-prone area in Russia. The Far East tsunamis are much more frequent, extensive, and devastating than those in the Black, Caspian, Baltic, and White Sea coasts, as well as in major inland lakes of Baikal, Ladoga, etc. The tsunami catalog of the Russian Far East from 1737 to present lists 110 events with mainly near-field and few far-field sources (105 and 5 events, respectively). Most of the catalogued tsunamis (95 cases) were induced by earthquakes, and few events had volcanic (3), landsliding (2), meteorological (3), and unknown (2) triggers. Altogether there were eleven devastating tsunamis for the period of observations, with >10 m heights, two of which were great events in 1737 and 1952, when the waves exceeded 20 m. The wave heights were in the range 2.5–10 m in fifteen hazardous tsunami events and within the tidal range (~1–2 m) in thirteen cases; the other events were small and detectable only instrumentally. Thus, the average recurrence times for tsunamis of different magnitudes in the Russian Pacific coast are 25 years for devastating events and 10–15 years for hazardous tsunamis; small tsunamis occur almost every year, according to statistics for the last sixty years collected at the regional network of tide stations. The topics discussed in the paper concern the completeness and reliability of the Far East catalog; distribution of tsunami events in space and time; correlation between the intensity of tsunami and the magnitude of the causative undersea earthquake; tsunami recurrence; tsunami warning; and long-term hazard assessment and mapping.
Conditions of crystallization of olivine shonkinites in the Inagli massif (Central Aldan)
Authors: Rokosova E.Yu. , Panina L.I. , Vasil’ev Yu.R. , Lesnov F.P.
Published: September 2016

The olivine shonkinites localized among dunites and alkali gabbroids in the northern part of the alkaline ultrabasic Inagli massif (northwestern part of Central Aldan) have been studied. The obtained data on the chemical and trace-element compositions of the rocks and minerals and the results of melt inclusion study showed that the olivine shonkinites crystallized from alkaline basanite melt enriched in Cl, S, CO2, and trace elements. Clinopyroxene crystallized at 1180–1200 °C from a homogeneous silicate–salt melt, which was probably separated into immiscible silicate and carbonate–salt fractions with temperature decreasing. The composition of the silicate fraction evolved from alkaline basanite to alkaline trachyte. The carbonate–salt fraction had an alkaline carbonate composition and was enriched in S and Cl. The same trend of evolution of clinopyroxene-hosted melts and the igneous rocks of the Inagli massif suggests that the alkali gabbroids, melanocratic alkali syenites, and pulaskites formed from the same magma, which had a near-alkaline basanite composition during its crystallization differentiation. The geochemical studies showed that the olivine shonkinites and glasses of homogenized melt inclusions in clinopyroxene grains have similar contents of trace elements, one or two orders of magnitude higher than those in the primitive mantle. The high contents of LILE (K, Rb, and Sr) and LREE in the olivine shoshonites and homogenized inclusions suggest the enriched mantle source, and the negative anomalies of HFSE and Ti are a specific feature of igneous rocks formed with the participation of crustal material. The slight depletion in HREE relative to LREE and the high (La/Yb)n ratios in the rocks and inclusion glasses (10.0–11.4 and 4.7–6.2, respectively) suggest the presence of garnet in the mantle source.
Geochemistry of organic matter of the Neoproterozoic strata within the Berezovka depression (Seralakh Formation, Siberian Platform)
Authors: Ivanova I.A.
Published: September 2016

The results of study of geochemistry of the Neoproterozoic and Lower Cambrian deposits within the Berezovka depression are presented. A mudstone member of the Seralakh Formation is assumed to be an oil source bed. We compiled a series of geochemical maps for this formation and estimated the hydrocarbon generation potential and the scales of oil and gas formation in its mudstone member, using the volumetric-genetic method. The migrated liquid hydrocarbons amount to about 8 billion tons.
Sensitivity of the Lambert-Amery glacial system to geothermal heat flux
Authors: Pittard M. L. , Roberts J. L. , Galton-Fenzi B. K. , Watson C. S.
Published: September 2016

Geothermal heat flux (GHF) is one of the key thermal boundary conditions for ice-sheet models. We assess the sensitivity of the Lambert-Amery glacial system in East Antarctica to four different GHF datasets using a regional ice-sheet model. A control solution of the regional model is initialised by minimising the misfit to observations through an optimisation process. The Lambert-Amery glacial system simulation contains temperate ice up to 150 m thick and has an average basal melt of 1.3 mm a−1, with maximum basal melting of 504 mm a−1. The simulations which use a relatively high GHF compared to the control solution increase the volume and area of temperate ice, which causes higher surface velocities at higher elevations, which leads to the advance of the grounding line. The grounding line advance leads to changes in the local flow configuration, which dominates the changes within the glacial system. To investigate the difference in spatial patterns within the geothermal datasets, they were scaled to have the same median value. These scaled GHF simulations showed that the ice flow was most sensitive to the spatial variation in the underlying GHF near the ice divides and on the edges of the ice streams.
Cheeger inequalities for absorbing Markov chains
Authors: Froyland Gary , Stuart Robyn M.
Published: September 2016

We construct Cheeger-type bounds for the second eigenvalue of a substochastic transition probability matrix in terms of the Markov chain's conductance and metastability (and vice versa) with respect to its quasistationary distribution, extending classical results for stochastic transition matrices.
On the capacity functional of excursion sets of Gaussian random fields on ℝ2
Authors: Kratz Marie , Nagel Werner
Published: September 2016

When a random field (Xt,t∈ℝ2) is thresholded on a given level u, the excursion set is given by its indicator 1[u, ∞)(Xt). The purpose of this work is to study functionals (as established in stochastic geometry) of these random excursion sets as, e.g. the capacity functional as well as the second moment measure of the boundary length. It extends results obtained for the one-dimensional case to the two-dimensional case, with tools borrowed from crossings theory, in particular, Rice methods, and from integral and stochastic geometry.
Urn sampling distributions giving alternate correspondences between two optimal stopping problems
Authors: Tamaki Mitsushi
Published: September 2016

The best-choice problem and the duration problem, known as versions of the secretary problem, are concerned with choosing an object from those that appear sequentially. Let (B,p) denote the best-choice problem and (D,p) the duration problem when the total number N of objects is a bounded random variable with prior p=(p1, p2,...,pn) for a known upper bound n. Gnedin (2005) discovered the correspondence relation between these two quite different optimal stopping problems. That is, for any given prior p, there exists another prior q such that (D,p) is equivalent to (B,q). In this paper, motivated by his discovery, we attempt to find the alternate correspondence {p(m),m≥0}, i.e. an infinite sequence of priors such that (D,p(m-1)) is equivalent to (B,p(m)) for all m≥1, starting with p(0)=(0,...,0,1). To be more precise, the duration problem is distinguished into (D1,p) or (D2,p), referred to as model 1 or model 2, depending on whether the planning horizon is N or n. The aforementioned problem is model 1. For model 2 as well, we can find the similar alternate correspondence {p[m],m≥ 0}. We treat both the no-information model and the full-information model and examine the limiting behaviors of their optimal rules and optimal values related to the alternate correspondences as n→∞. A generalization of the no-information model is given. It is worth mentioning that the alternate correspondences for model 1 and model 2 are respectively related to the urn sampling models without replacement and with replacement.
Series expansions for the all-time maximum of α-stable random walks
Authors: Hurvich Clifford , Reed Josh
Published: September 2016

We study random walks whose increments are α-stable distributions with shape parameter 1<α<2. Specifically, assuming a mean increment size which is negative, we provide series expansions in terms of the mean increment size for the probability that the all-time maximum of an α-stable random walk is equal to 0 and, in the totally skewed-to-the-left case of skewness parameter β=-1, for the expected value of the all-time maximum of an α-stable random walk. Our series expansions generalize previous results for Gaussian random walks. Key ingredients in our proofs are Spitzer's identity for random walks, the stability property of α-stable random variables, and Zolotarev's integral representation for the cumulative distribution function of an α-stable random variable. We also discuss an application of our results to a problem arising in queueing theory.
SIR epidemics with stages of infection
Authors: Lefèvre Claude , Simon Matthieu
Published: September 2016

In this paper we are concerned with a stochastic model for the spread of an epidemic in a closed homogeneously mixing population when an infective can go through several stages of infection before being removed. The transitions between stages are governed by either a Markov process or a semi-Markov process. An infective of any stage makes contacts amongst the population at the points of a Poisson process. Our main purpose is to derive the distribution of the final epidemic size and severity, as well as an approximation by branching, using simple matrix analytic methods. Some illustrations are given, including a model with treatment discussed by Gani (2006).
On real growth and run-off companies in insurance ruin theory
Authors: Nyrhinen Harri
Published: September 2016

We study solvency of insurers in a comprehensive model where various economic factors affect the capital developments of the companies. The main interest is in the impact of real growth to ruin probabilities. The volume of the business is allowed to increase or decrease. In the latter case, the study is focused on run-off companies. Our main results give sharp asymptotic estimates for infinite-time ruin probabilities.
Risk minimization for game options in markets imposing minimal transaction costs
Authors: Dolinsky Yan , Kifer Yuri
Published: September 2016

We study partial hedging for game options in markets with transaction costs bounded from below. More precisely, we assume that the investor's transaction costs for each trade are the maximum between proportional transaction costs and a fixed transaction cost. We prove that in the continuous-time Black‒Scholes (BS) model, there exists a trading strategy which minimizes the shortfall risk. Furthermore, we use binomial models in order to provide numerical schemes for the calculation of the shortfall risk and the corresponding optimal portfolio in the BS model.
Early Parenting Education to Strengthen Aboriginal Parents in a Remote Area: The Development and Piloting of a Group Programme
Authors: Grace Rebekah , Bowes Jennifer , McKay-Tempest Judith , Burnstein Jodi , Tregeagle Sue
Published: September 2016

In this article, the authors describe the development, piloting and evaluation of a parenting programme delivered to Aboriginal families of young children in remote NSW. The parenting programme was based on Parents as Teachers, an evidence-based early intervention and prevention home visiting programme that draws on child development theory, and was developed in collaboration with representatives from the local Aboriginal community. The impetus for the programme came from concern about the poor early learning and child wellbeing indicators in this community, pointing to the need for early parenting support that could be effectively delivered by trained Aboriginal workers in a remote area where early childhood resources were very limited. The sessions, implemented within a group setting, were structured and intensive. Six topics identified as being most important to parents of children aged from birth to 18 months, and six topics for parents of children aged from 18 months to 3 years were presented, with three sessions developed for each topic. An evaluation of the programme to date revealed that parent satisfaction with the programme was very high, as were reports of increased knowledge of child development and parenting skills, and increased connection with other families. Aboriginal staff valued the structured programme and resources that were developed. They reported increased knowledge of child development and how to run groups effectively, and observed positive changes in the participating families.
Non-standard real-analytic realizations of some rotations of the circle – CORRIGENDUM
Authors: BANERJEE SHILPAK
Published: September 2016

We correct two technical errors in the original paper. The main result in the original paper remains valid without any changes.
Integer part polynomial correlation sequences
Authors: KOUTSOGIANNIS ANDREAS
Published: September 2016

Following an approach presented by Frantzikinakis [Multiple correlation sequences and nilsequences. Invent. Math. 202(2) (2015), 875–892], we prove that any multiple correlation sequence defined by invertible measure preserving actions of commuting transformations with integer part polynomial iterates is the sum of a nilsequence and an error term, which is small in uniform density. As an intermediate result, we show that multiple ergodic averages with iterates given by the integer part of real-valued polynomials converge in the mean. Also, we show that under certain assumptions the limit is zero. A transference principle, communicated to us by M. Wierdl, plays an important role in our arguments by allowing us to deduce results for$\mathbb{Z}$-actions from results for flows.
Coalition Politics and Parliamentary Oversight in the European Union
Authors: Finke Daniel , Herbel Annika
Published: September 2016

According to the literature, parliamentary scrutiny is either used by the opposition to control the government or by a coalition partner to control the leading minister. Yet, neither the opposition alone nor individual governing parties alone can muster a parliamentary majority to adopt recommendations, resolutions or statements. Therefore, we ask which parties coalesce in co-sponsoring such joint position papers on European Union policy proposals and why. Tying in with the existing literature, we offer three explanations. Firstly, position papers are co-sponsored by so-called ‘policy coalitions’, a group of parties that hold similar preferences on the policy under discussion. Secondly, governing parties form coalitions which support their minister’s position vis-à-vis his or her international partners in Brussels. Thirdly, party groups co-sponsor position papers to counterbalance the leading minister’s deviation from the floor median.

On the empirical side, we study the statements issued by committees of the Finnish Eduskunta and recommendations adopted by committees of the German Bundestag over a period of 10 years. Though having similarly strong parliaments, the two countries are characterized by very different types of coalition governments. These differences are mirrored in the observed co-sponsorship patterns.
MHD Peristaltic Flow in a Curved Channel with Convective Condition
Authors: Hayat T. , Farooq S. , Alsaedi A.
Published: September 2016

This attempt addresses the peristaltic transport of Jeffrey fluid in a curved channel. Heat transfer is discussed employing convective condition at the channel walls. Effects of radial applied magnetic field and Joule heating are retained. Convective boundary conditions at both walls with different temperature are also accounted. The relevant equations are modeled in view of lubrication approach. Closed form expression for stream function is constructed. Numerical solution of stream function, velocity and temperature is obtained via shooting method in Mathematica with the help of NDSolve command. It is observed that curvature has opposite effects on the lower and upper walls of channel. However temperature is an increasing function of curvature parameter. Temperature also decreases in presence of heat transfer convective parameter naturally the Biot number.
Pedestrian-Induced Vibration of a Simply-Supported Beam
Authors: Yin S.-H.
Published: September 2016

This paper presents an analytical approach to analyze the vertical vibration of a simply supported beam subjected to pedestrian-induced loads. The loading time history of an individual footstep is simplified as a rectangular force pulse, and each identical footstep load acts at different locations along the beam depending on a step length. Although the loading model is very simple, it enables us to find analytical relations between the pacing parameters and the beam response. The results showed that the dependence of the pacing period, footstep contact duration, time delay of traveling between two pedestrians on the natural period of the beam as well as the step length can influence the dynamic response of the beam significantly.
Resting energy expenditure in obese women: comparison between measured and estimated values
Authors: Poli Vanessa Fadanelli Schoenardie , Sanches Ricardo Badan , Moraes Amanda dos Santos , Fidalgo João Pedro Novo , Nascimento Maythe Amaral , Andrade-Silva Stephan Garcia , Clemente José Carlos , Yi Liu Chiao , Caranti Danielle Arisa
Published: September 2016

Assessing energy requirements is a fundamental activity in clinical dietetic practice. The aim of this study was to investigate which resting energy expenditure (REE) predictive equations are the best alternatives to indirect calorimetry before and after an interdisciplinary therapy in Brazilian obese women. In all, twelve equations based on weight, height, sex, age, fat-free mass and fat mass were tested. REE was measured by indirect calorimetry. The interdisciplinary therapy consisted of nutritional, physical exercise, psychological and physiotherapy support during the course of 1 year. The average differences between measured and predicted REE, as well as the accuracy at the ±10 % level, were evaluated. Statistical analysis included paired t tests, intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland–Altman plots. Validation was based on forty obese women (BMI 30–39·9 kg/m2). Our major findings demonstrated a wide variation in the accuracy of REE predictive equations before and after weight loss in non-morbid, obese women. The equations reported by Harris–Benedict and FAO/WHO/United Nations University (UNU) were the only ones that did not show significant differences compared with indirect calorimetry and presented a bias <5 %. The Harris–Benedict equation provided 40 and 47·5 % accurate predictions before and after therapy, respectively. The FAO equation provided 35 and 47·5 % accurate predictions. However, the Bland–Altman analysis did not show good agreement between these equations and indirect calorimetry. Therefore, the Harris–Benedict and FAO/WHO/UNU equations should be used with caution for obese women. The need to critically re-assess REE data and generate regional and more homogeneous REE databases for the target population is reinforced.
The Inner Corona Algebra of a C0(X)-Algebra
Authors: Archbold Robert J. , Somerset Douglas W. B.
Published: September 2016

Let A = C(X) ⊗ K(H), where X is a compact Hausdorff space and K(H) is the algebra of compact operators on a separable infinite-dimensional Hilbert space. Let As be the algebra of strong*-continuous functions from X to K(H). Then As/A is the inner corona algebra of A. We show that if X has no isolated points, then As/A is an essential ideal of the corona algebra of A, and Prim(As/A), the primitive ideal space of As/A, is not weakly Lindelof. If X is also first countable, then there is a natural injection from the power set of X to the lattice of closed ideals of As/A. If X = βℕ\ℕ and the continuum hypothesis (CH) is assumed, then the corona algebra of A is a proper subalgebra of the multiplier algebra of As/A. Several of the results are obtained in the more general setting of C0(X)-algebras.
Quantitative trait loci underlying root yield and starch content in anF1derived cassava population (Manihot esculentaCrantz)
Authors: SRAPHET S. , BOONCHANAWIWAT A. , THANYASIRIWAT T. , THAIKERT R. , WHANKAEW S. , SMITH D. R. , BOONSENG O. , LIGHTFOOT D. A. , TRIWITAYAKORN K.
Published: September 2016

Cassava (Manihot esculentaCrantz) root yield measured as fresh weight (hereafter root yield) is declining in much of Asia and Africa. The current study aimed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) underlying both root and starch fresh weights inF1cassava. Eight QTL were associated with root yield, underlying 12·9–40·0% of the phenotypic variation (PVE). Nine QTL were associated with starch content, underlying 11·3–27·3% of the PVE. Quantitative trait loci were identified from four different environments that encompassed two locations and 3 years. Consistent QTL for root yield,YLD5_R11andYLD8_L09on linkage group (LG) 16, were detected across years and locations. Quantitative trait loci for starch content,ST3_R09, ST6_R10andST7_R11 on LG 11, were found across 3 years. Co-localization of QTL for both traits with positive correlation was detected betweenYLD3_R10andST5_R10on LG 9. Candidate genes within the QTL that were consistent across multiple environments were identified based on cassava genome sequences. Genes predicted to encode for glycosyl hydrolases, uridine 5’-diphospho-(UDP)-glucuronosyl transferases and UDP-glucosyl transferases were found among the 44 genes located within the region containing the QTL controlling starch content. Sixteen genes predicted to encode proteins that were possibly associated with root yield were identified. The QTL controlling root yield and starch content in the current study will be useful for molecular breeding of cassava through marker-assisted selection. The identification of candidate genes underlying both traits will be useful both as markers and for gene expression studies.
LOCAL PARTITIONED QUANTILE REGRESSION
Authors: Zhang Zhengyu
Published: September 2016

In this paper, we consider the nonparametric estimation of a broad class of quantile regression models, in which the partially linear, additive, and varying coefficient models are nested. We propose for the model a two-stage kernel-weighted least squares estimator by generalizing the idea of local partitioned mean regression (Christopeit and Hoderlein, 2006, Econometrica 74, 787–817) to a quantile regression framework. The proposed estimator is shown to have desirable asymptotic properties under standard regularity conditions. The new estimator has three advantages relative to existing methods. First, it is structurally simple and widely applicable to the general model as well as its submodels. Second, both the functional coefficients and their derivatives up to any given order can be estimated. Third, the procedure readily extends to censored data, including fixed or random censoring. A Monte Carlo experiment indicates that the proposed estimator performs well in finite samples. An empirical application is also provided.
A NOTE ON GENERALIZED EMPIRICAL LIKELIHOOD ESTIMATION OF SEMIPARAMETRIC CONDITIONAL MOMENT RESTRICTION MODELS
Authors: Sueishi Naoya
Published: September 2016

This paper proposes an empirical likelihood-based estimation method for semiparametric conditional moment restriction models, which contain finite dimensional unknown parameters and unknown functions. We extend the results of Donald, Imbens, and Newey (2003, Journal of Econometrics 117, 55–93) by allowing unknown functions to be included in the conditional moment restrictions. We approximate unknown functions by a sieve method and estimate the finite dimensional parameters and unknown functions jointly. We establish consistency and derive the convergence rate of the estimator. We also show that the estimator of the finite dimensional parameters is $\sqrt n$-consistent, asymptotically normally distributed, and asymptotically efficient.
Renal thromboembolism from a large pulmonary artery to a pulmonary vein fistula in an asymptomatic adolescent
Authors: Brothers Matthew , Peeler Benjamin , Paolillo Joseph
Published: September 2016

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula is a rare vascular anomaly that can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The presence and significance of symptoms are dependent on the size of the right-to-left shunt. Thromboembolic events may result in cerebrovascular accidents or systemic vascular occlusions. We present a case of an adolescent without cardiorespiratory symptoms, who developed flank pain due to renal infarction, followed by a brief literature review.
Can Paramedics Safely Refuse Transport of Non-Urgent Patients?
Authors: Fraess-Phillips Alex J.
Published: September 2016

Objective

The goal of this search was to review the current literature regarding paramedic triage of primary care patients and the safety of paramedic-initiated non-transport of non-urgent patients.

Methods

A narrative literature review was conducted using the Medline (Medline Industries, Inc.; Mundelein, Illinois USA) database and a manual search of Google Scholar (Google; Mountain View, California USA).

Results

Only 11 studies were found investigating paramedic triage and safety of non-transport of non-urgent patients. It was found that triage agreement between paramedic and emergency department staff generally is poor and that paramedics are limited in their abilities to predict the ultimate admission location of their patients. However, these triage decisions and admission predictions are much more accurate when the patient’s condition is the result of trauma and when the patient requires critical care services. Furthermore, the literature provides very limited support for the safety of paramedic triage in the refusal of non-urgent patient transport, especially without physician oversight. Though many non-transported patients are satisfied with the quality of non-urgent treatment that they receive from paramedics, the rates of under-triage and subsequent hospitalization reported in the literature are too high to suggest that this practice can be adopted widely.

Conclusion

There is insufficient evidence to suggest that non-urgent patients can safely be refused transport based on paramedic triage alone. Further attempts to implement paramedic-initiated non-transport of non-urgent patients should be approached with careful triage protocol development, paramedic training, and pilot studies. Future primary research and systematic reviews also are required to build on the currently limited literature.

Fraess-PhillipsAJ.Can paramedics safely refuse transport of non-urgent patients?Prehosp Disaster Med.2016;31(6):667–674.
A 3-year Health Care Coalition Experience in Advancing Hospital Evacuation Preparedness
Authors: Lowe John J. , Hansen Keith F. , Sanger Kristine K. , Obaid Jannah M.
Published: September 2016

This report outlines a 3-year health care coalition effort to advance and test community capacity for a large-scale hospital evacuation. The multi-year effort utilized a variety workshops, seminars, webinars, tabletops, functional exercises, and culminated with a full-scale exercise testing hospital evacuation. While most hospital evacuation exercises focus on internal movement of patients, this exercise process tested command-level decision making and it tested external partners such as transportation agencies, law enforcement, receiving hospitals, and local emergency management. This process delivered key coalition-building activities and offered a variety of training and exercise opportunities to assist a number of organizations, all at different stages of hospital evacuation planning. The 2012 Hospital Preparedness Program outlined the incorporation of health care coalition activities to transform individual organization preparedness to community-level readiness. This report outlines a health care coalition effort to deliver training and exercises to advance community capacity for a large-scale hospital evacuation.

LoweJJ,HansenKF,SangerKK,ObaidJM.A 3-year health care coalition experience in advancing hospital evacuation preparedness.Prehosp Disaster Med.2016;31(6):658–662.
Exhaustible Resource Allocation, Intergenerational Equity, and Sustainability
Authors: Knapp Keith C.
Published: September 2016

An OLG model with exhaustible resources and solar energy is developed, and equilibrium time paths are characterized numerically using recursive methods. For the parameter values considered, resource prices increase over time, and extractions, output, and utility decline over time until a steady-state is reached. Decreasing the intertemporal elasticity of substitution or raising consumers' subjective discount rate hastens exhaustion of the resource stock. Market equilibrium can result in much quicker use of the stock than social optimality under a constant discount rate, with consequent higher utility for early generations and lower utility for future generations in contrast to social optimality.
An Overview of the U.S. Agricultural Economy and the 2008 Farm Bill
Authors: Harwood Joy
Published: September 2016

The 2008 farm bill involved 16 months of debate. The end product is similar to the 2002 farm bill in the crops arena, continuing counter-cyclical payments, direct payments, and marketing assistance loans. In addition, however, the 2008 bill adds a new, optional counter-cyclical revenue program (Average Crop Revenue Election, or ACRE), authorizes a new permanent disaster program, and contains various other changes. The new ACRE program provides an entirely new set of dimensions for producers to consider in deciding whether to opt into the program, including the multi-year trade-off between the loss of potential “traditional” payments and the revenue protection provided by ACRE, as well as the producer's own expectations about yield and price trends and variability. The payment calculation associated with the new permanent disaster program appears at first glance to be relatively simple, although the whole-farm nature of the program and the number of variables makes it quite complex.
The Socially Optimal Import Tariff and Tax Credit for Ethanol with Farm Subsidies
Authors: de Gorter Harry , Just David R. , Tan Qinwen
Published: September 2016

We determine how the U.S. ethanol tax credit and import tariff affect the corn-ethanol-gasoline markets and how farm subsidies interact with these policies. We show how the ethanol tax credit and import tariff each uniquely affect the ethanol and gasoline prices. The ethanol import tariff alone increases the terms of trade in ethanol imports and corn exports, but decreases the terms of trade in gasoline imports and the tax costs of farm price supports. With price-contingent farm subsidies in place, the optimal tariff and tax credit will depend on the price level. When farm subsidy expenditures are high, import subsidies for ethanol may increase social welfare due to the substantial size of the fuel market relative to the corn market.
Chance Constrained Programming Models for Risk-Based Economic and Policy Analysis of Soil Conservation
Authors: Zhu Minkang , Taylor Daniel B. , Sarin Subhash C. , Kramer Randall A.
Published: September 2016

The random nature of soil loss under alternative land-use practices should be an important consideration of soil conservation planning and analysis under risk. Chance constrained programming models can provide information on the trade-offs among pre-determined tolerance levels of soil loss, probability levels of satisfying the tolerance levels, and economic profits or losses resulting from soil conservation to soil conservation policy makers. When using chance constrained programming models, the distribution of factors being constrained must be evaluated. If random variables follow a log-normal distribution, the normality assumption, which is generally used in the chance constrained programming models, can bias the results.
Comparing the Impacts of Retiree versus Working-Age Families on a Small Rural Region: An Application of the Wisconsin Economic Impact Modeling System
Authors: Shields Martin , Deller Steven C. , Stallmann Judith I.
Published: September 2016

The Wisconsin Economic Impact Modeling System, a conjoined input-output/econometric model of Wisconsin counties, is used to simulate the economic and fiscal impact of two alternative residential development patterns. Under the first scenario, the impact of migrating retirees on a small tri-county region in northern Wisconsin is examined. Under the second scenario, the impact of the migration of younger families with children is examined. A comparison-contrast between the two scenarios demonstrates that the characteristics of the migrating household can have a significant impact on the nature of the impacts.
Trading Poultry Litter at the Watershed Level: A Goal Focusing Application
Authors: Jones Kezelee , D'Souza Gerard
Published: September 2016

We explore the transfer of poultry litter among watersheds incorporating both economic characteristics (litter demand and supply) and environmental characteristics (vulnerability to phosphorus runoff, a major pollutant). A combination of techniques was employed: the Lemunyon-Gilbert P-Index model to determine watershed environmental vulnerability, GIS for land use coverages, and a goal focusing model (incorporating Saaty's eigen-value approach for penalty weight estimation) to identify optimal litter shipments among watersheds. Both primary and secondary data were used. The results should be useful to producers and policy makers in the study area and in other areas where poultry production is linked to water quality, and contribute to a more sustainable poultry sector.
Impacts of the Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact on Supply, Retail Prices and the WIC Program: An Introduction
Authors: Nicholson Charles F. , Wang Qingbin , Lass Daniel
Published: September 2016

The Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact (Compact), the first regional dairy compact in the U.S., has been the focus of a great deal of attention and speculation during the past several years. The Compact was authorized under the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform act of 1996 and was enacted into law by each of the six New England states, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont (U.S. Government). The Compact explicitly recognizes dairy farming as an important component of the New England landscape that provides both cultural and economic benefits to the region. The Compact's stated purposes are to assure the continued viability of dairy farming in the Northeast, as well as its associated support industries, and to provide consumers with an adequate local supply of pure and wholesome milk. The Compact provides a measure of farm fluid milk price control in the New England states in order to help satisfy these goals.
Impacts of the Northeast Dairy Compact on New England Retail Prices
Authors: Lass Daniel A. , Adanu Mawunyo , Allen P. Geoffrey
Published: September 2016

Northeast Dairy Compact impacts were estimated for Boston and Hartford retail prices using an econometric model. Asymmetric speeds of adjustment to farm price increases and decreases were found; however, tests indicated that retail prices do return to the same level following equal farm price increases and decreases. Model forecasts suggested no structural changes occurred during the out-of-sample period, July 1996 through June 1998. Simulations with and without the Compact predicted lower retail fluid milk price impacts than actual July 1997 changes. These predicted impacts separate the effects of farm price changes on retail prices from possibly confounding effects.
Incidental and Joint Consumption in Recreation Demand
Authors: Parsons George R. , Wilson Aaron J.
Published: September 2016

A theory for analyzing incidental consumption in a single site recreation demand model is presented. We show that incidental consumption on a recreation trip, such as a visit to see friends or a visit to a second recreation site, can be treated as a complementary good and analyzed using conventional theory. We also show that the analysis applies whether the side trips are incidental or joint. In a simple application we find that failing to account for incidental consumption appears to create little bias in valuing recreation sites.
Factors Influencing Changes in Potato and Potato Substitute Demand
Authors: Richards T.J. , Kagan A. , Gao X.M.
Published: September 2016

Despite the rapid rise in complex carbohydrate consumption over the last twenty-five years, fresh potato consumption has fallen by over 50%. Fresh potato growers and retailers alike need to know whether these changes reflect consumer responses to changing relative prices or incomes, or whether they are due to changes in consumer tastes. This paper uses a linear approximation almost ideal demand system (LA/AIDS) to investigate the effect of relative prices, expenditures, and a set of socioeconomic variables on complex carbohydrate demand. Estimation results show that the socioeconomic variables explain some of the changes in demand, but a significant amount remains as evidence of a change in consumer tastes.
Economic Effects of a Countervailing Duty Order on the U.S. Lamb Meat Industry
Authors: Rabula Ronald A.
Published: September 2016

This paper provides the model, analysis, and results of the investigative research by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) staff on the U.S. lamb market impacts from the countervailing duty (CVD) order imposed on certain U.S. imports of New Zealand lamb meat during 1985–90. Presented here are the monthly three-stage least squares model of the U.S. lamb meat industry at the wholesale or meat-packing level, along with the econometric results and analyses obtained from the USITC investigation. Analysis of model results quantifies average estimated CVD-attributed effects on U.S. lamb price, demand and supply of domestically produced lamb, and U.S. lamb import levels. A number of economic parameter estimates and inference results concerning U.S. wholesale lamb market relationships are reported and are of interest, given the scarce published research on the U.S. lamb industry.
Examining Packer Choice of Slaughter Cattle Procurement and Pricing Methods
Authors: Capps Oral , Alan Love H. , Williams Gary W. , Adams Wendi L.
Published: September 2016

Using daily fed cattle purchase transaction records collected by the Packers and Stockyards Program over the period April 1992 to April 1993, we identify characteristics associated with the choices of fed cattle procurement and pricing methods. The methodology involves the use of a multinomial logit model.

Regional concentration; processing capacity; number of head per lot; average weight per head; cattle type; yield grade, quarterly grade, seasonality, and distance from packing plants play a significant role in determining the methods of procurement and pricing chosen by packers. The method chosen by packers to procure fed cattle also affects the choice of a given pricing method.
Factors Influencing Support for Rural Land Use Control: A Case Study
Authors: McLeod Donald M. , Woirhaye Jody , Menkhaus Dale J.
Published: September 2016

Agricultural land is being converted into rural residences at an unprecedented rate in the Inter-mountain West. Survey data have been collected for Sublette County, Wyoming concerning preferences for private land use and land use controls. Selected land use controls include zoning, purchase of development rights and cluster development. Local in-migration appears to be driven by the pursuit of open space and environmental amenities. Logit models are estimated for public and private choice co-variates. Private concerns about land use are the chief determinants of land use control approval.