bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Moral Economy of Intergenerational Redistribution in an Ageing Society: A Qualitative Analysis of Young Adults' Beliefs in the United States
Authors: Prinzen Katrin
Published: May 2016

In the USA,the largest generation,the Baby Boomers,is currently retiring and increasingly drawing from Old Age Social Security. In this context,young generations are said to be disadvantaged:they have to support a growing number of pensioners while expecting much lower pensions themselves. Drawing on 14 original semi‐structured interviews with young US citizens aged 20–36,this study analyzes the moral economy of intergenerational redistribution–defined as normative beliefs and justifications of a just distribution of contributions and benefits between generations. The qualitative content analysis resorts to the four constituent institutional principles of intergenerational redistribution:deservingness(being qualified to receive support),reciprocity(mutual support between generations),equity(relation between in‐ and outputs for one generation)and equality(corresponding conditions for different generations). The first main finding is that the young hold multiple normative beliefs in favour of intergenerational redistribution. The second main finding is that different normative beliefs and justifications can compensate for feelings of injustice attributable to the consequences of an ageing society. The qualitative findings'contributions to the field of study that is dominated by quantitative studies are concluded. Implications for public support for intergenerational redistribution in the ageing society of the USA and other countries are discussed.
Shear Band Evolution in Polymer Bonded Explosives Subjected to Punch Loading
Authors: Liu Z. W. , Zhang H. Y. , Xie H. M. , Li K. X.
Published: May 2016

The shear band development and potential hot‐spot initiation of polymer‐bonded explosive were investigated under low‐rate punch loading and combined punch and thermal loading. The digital image correlation method was used for deformation analysis. The obtained results showed that the initiation and development of shear bands at room temperature occur in three stages and demonstrated that the material suffers a prolonged shear stress concentration in a local area. Large shear was shown to lead to the formation of slip bands in the hard‐phase area, indicating that this region has the highest potential to initiate hot‐spots even under low‐rate punching. For high temperatures, the initiation and development of shear bands occur in two stages, with the resulting flow field being close to Hill's solution except for a small area directly underneath the punch. Large plastic flow rate was shown to be another important feature besides shear banding.
Two‐dice horse race
Authors: Foster Colin , Martin David
Published: May 2016

We analyse the “two‐dice horse race” task often used in lower secondary school, in which two ordinary dice are thrown repeatedly and each time the sum of the scores determines which horse (numbered 1 to 12) moves forwards one space.
Follow‐up and programmatic outcomes of HIV‐exposed infants registered in a large HIV centre in Lilongwe, Malawi: 2012–2014
Authors: Ng'ambi Wingston F. , Ade Serge , Harries Anthony D. , Midiani Dalitso , Owiti Philip , Takarinda Kudakwashe C. , Gugsa Salem , Phiri Sam
Published: May 2016

Objective

To assess follow‐up and programmatic outcomes of HIV‐exposed infants at Martin Preuss Centre, Lilongwe, from 2012 to 2014.

Methods

Retrospective cohort study using routinely collected HIV‐exposed infant data. Data were analysed using frequencies and percentages in Stata v.13.

Results

Of 1035 HIV‐exposed infants registered 2012–2014, 79% were available to be tested for HIV and 76% were HIV‐tested either with DNA‐PCR or rapid HIV test serology by 24 months of age. Sixty‐five infants were found to be HIV‐positive and 43% were started on antiretroviral therapy (ART) at different ages from 6 weeks to 24 months. Overall, 48% of HIV‐exposed infants were declared lost‐to‐follow‐up in the database. Of these, 69% were listed for tracing; of these, 78% were confirmed as lost‐to‐follow‐up through patient charts; of these, 51% were traced; and of these, 62% were truly not in care, the remainder being wrongly classified. Commonest reasons for being truly not in care were mother/guardian unavailability to bring infants to Martin Preuss Centre, forgetting clinic appointments and transport expenses. Of these 86 patients, 36% were successfully brought back to care and 64% remained lost‐to‐follow‐up.

Conclusion

Loss to follow‐up remains a huge challenge in the care of HIV‐exposed infants. Active tracing facilitates the return of some of these infants to care. However, programmatic data documentation must be urgently improved to better follow‐up and link HIV‐positive children to ART.
Assessing women's knowledge and attitudes toward cord blood banking: policy and ethical implications for Jordan
Authors: Matsumoto Monica M. , Dajani Rana , Khader Yousef , Matthews Kirstin R.W.
Published: May 2016

BACKGROUND

Despite the global expansion of umbilical cord blood (CB) banking, little is known about public opinion and awareness, especially among Arab Muslim populations. CB banking raises policy questions about funding sustainability and quality standards, as well as ethical debates about profitability, informed consent, and medical justification. This study is the first of its kind in the Arab world, and Jordan has a unique, understudied, yet highly relevant setting, especially as a regional medical hub with advanced medical and health policy infrastructures. In addition, the first private and public CB banks are expected to open in 2016.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The authors developed and administered, over a 5‐month period, an anonymous survey to investigate public opinion and knowledge about CB banking in Jordan. The survey was administered to women in maternity outpatient clinic waiting rooms at five different hospitals.

RESULTS

More than 75% of respondents indicated they knew nothing about CB banking in Jordan, and more than 50% had never heard of CB banking before. However, overall public opinion about CB storage is positive. Important factors related to public opinion were also identified, demonstrating that most women want more information on CB banking, especially from their obstetrician.

CONCLUSION

This widespread lack of awareness is likely contributing to misinformation, lack of knowledge, and unfavorable perspectives toward CB donation and research. The results have important implications for the development of national and regional policies and educational campaigns on CB banking targeting both physicians and patients.
Worker Cooperatives in the United States, Redux
Authors: Kennelly James J. , Odekon Mehmet
Published: May 2016

Unfettered free market capitalism has adversely affected the socio‐economic well‐being of labor for over thirty years, leading to unprecedented income disparities in society. An alternative economic model that promotes worker ownership and economic democracy—the worker cooperative—is the focus of this study. Three exemplary case studies suggest that worker cooperatives are not only viable forms of businesses ‐ competitive and productive—but they are also democratic workplaces with participatory democracy guaranteeing individual and collective freedom, worker satisfaction, prosperity, and dignity. The essay concludes that self‐determination in the workplace that empowers labor is a transformative alternative strategy to successfully fight income inequality.
Diacylglycerol‐mediated regulation of Aplysia bag cell neuron excitability requires protein kinase C
Authors: Sturgeon Raymond M. , Magoski Neil S.
Published: May 2016

Key points

In Aplysia, reproduction is initiated by the bag cell neurons and a prolonged period of enhanced excitability known as the afterdischarge.

Phosphoinositide turnover is upregulated during the afterdischarge resulting in the hydrolysis of phosphatidylinositol‐4,5‐bisphosphate by phospholipase C (PLC) and the release of diacylglycerol (DAG) and inositol trisphosphate (IP3).

In whole‐cell voltage‐clamped cultured bag cell neurons, 1‐oleoyl‐2‐acetyl‐sn‐glycerol (OAG), a synthetic DAG analogue, activates a dose‐dependent, transient, inward current (IOAG) that is enhanced by IP3, mimicked by PLC activation and dependent on basal protein kinase C (PKC) activity.

OAG depolarizes bag cell neurons and triggers action potential firing in culture, and prolongs electrically stimulated afterdischarges in intact bag cell neuron clusters ex vivo.

Although PKC alone cannot activate the current, it is required for IOAG; this is the first description of required obligate PKC activity working in concert with PLC, DAG and IP3 to maintain the depolarization required for prolonged excitability in Aplysia reproduction.

Following synaptic input, the bag cell neurons of Aplysia undergo a long‐term afterdischarge of action potentials to secrete egg‐laying hormone and initiate reproduction. Early in the afterdischarge, phospholipase C (PLC) hydrolyses phosphatidylinositol‐4,5‐bisphosphate into inositol trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). In Aplysia, little is known about the action of DAG, or any interaction with IP3; thus, we examined the effects of a synthetic DAG analogue, 1‐oleoyl‐2‐acetyl‐sn‐glycerol (OAG), on whole‐cell voltage‐clamped cultured bag cell neurons. OAG induced a large, prolonged, Ca2+‐permeable, concentration‐dependent inward current (IOAG) that reversed at ∼−20 mV and was enhanced by intracellular IP3. A similar current was evoked by either another DAG analogue, 1,2‐dioctanoyl‐sn‐glycerol (DOG), or activating PLC with N‐(3‐trifluoromethylphenyl)‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzenesulfonamide (m‐3M3FBS). IOAG was reduced by the general cation channel blockers Gd3+ or flufenamic acid. Work in other systems indicated that OAG activates channels independently of protein kinase C (PKC); however, we found pretreating bag cell neurons with any of the PKC inhibitors bisindolylmaleimide, sphinganine, or H7, attenuated IOAG. However, stimulating PKC with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate (PMA) did not evoke current or enhance IOAG; moreover, unlike PMA, OAG failed to trigger PKC, as confirmed by an independent bioassay. Finally, OAG or m‐3M3FBS depolarized cultured neurons, and while OAG did not provoke afterdischarges from bag cell neurons in the nervous system, it did double the duration of synaptically elicited afterdischarges. To our knowledge, this is the first report of obligate PKC activity for IOAG gating. An interaction between phosphoinositol metabolites and PKC could control the cation channel to influence afterdischarge duration.
A Continuous Velocity-Based Friction Model for Dynamics and Control With Physically Meaningful Parameters
Authors: Brown Peter , McPhee John
Published: May 2016

Friction is an important part of many dynamic systems, and, as a result, a good model of friction is necessary for simulating and controlling these systems. A new friction model, designed primarily for optimal control and real-time dynamic applications, is presented in this paper. This new model defines friction as a continuous function of velocity and captures the main velocity-dependent characteristics of friction: the Stribeck effect and viscous friction. Additional phenomena of friction such as microdisplacement and the time dependence of friction were not modeled due to the increased complexity of the model, leading to reduced performance of real-time simulations or optimizations. Unlike several current friction models, this model is C1 continuous and differentiable, which is desirable for optimal control applications, sensitivity analysis, and multibody dynamic analysis and simulation. To simplify parameter identification, the proposed model was designed to use a minimum number of parameters, all with physical meaning and readily visible on a force–velocity curve, rather than generic shape parameters. A simulation using the proposed model demonstrates that the model avoids any discontinuities in force at initial impact and the transition from slipping to sticking.
Investigation on Shearing and Local Formability of Hot-Rolled High-Strength Plates
Authors: Dong Liang , Li Shuhui , He Ji , Cui Ronggao
Published: May 2016

In order to evaluate the shearing quality, the material inhomogeneity through thickness after shearing is introduced by the authors. This study investigates the shearing and local formability of hot-rolled high-strength steel (HSS) plate, which is generally exploited for the manufacturing of the beam of heavy trucks. Various kinds of plates with different thicknesses and strengths are used to figure out the effect of material properties on the shearing quality. Both the shear surface morphology and microhardness distribution of the sheared edge are considered for evaluating the influence of the sheared-edge quality on local formability during the following forming process. Vickers hardness tests are conducted to analyze the microhardness distribution on the shear surface, which is proved to have significant effect on the local formability of the sheared edge. Furthermore, two kinds of bending tests and simulation are employed to study the edge cracking phenomenon, and the results indicate that the junctional zone of burnished zone and fracture zone, which is defined as peak hardness zone (PHZ), has a significant impact on major strain distribution on shear surface in the side bending test and this region is the main cause of edge cracking in normal bending test.
Solving the Kinematics of the Planar Mechanism Using Data Structures of Assur Groups
Authors: Sun Yuanxi , Ge Wenjie , Zheng Jia , Dong Dianbiao
Published: May 2016

This paper presents a systematic solution of the kinematics of the planar mechanism from the aspect of Assur groups. When the planar mechanism is decomposed into Assur groups, the detailed calculating order of Assur groups is unknown. To solve this problem, first, the decomposed Assur groups are classified into three types according to their calculability, which lays the foundation for the establishment of the automatic solving algorithm for decomposed Assur groups. Second, the data structure for the Assur group is presented, which enables the automatic solving algorithm with the input and output parameters of each Assur group. All decomposed Assur groups are stored in the component stack, and all parameters of which are stored in the parameter stacks. The automatic algorithm will detect identification flags of each Assur group in the component stack and their corresponding parameters in the parameter stacks in order to decide which Assur group is calculable and which one can be solved afterward. The proposed systematic solution is able to generate an automatic solving order for all Assur groups in the planar mechanism and allows the adding, modifying, and removing of Assur groups at any time. Two planar mechanisms are given as examples to show the detailed process of the proposed systematic solution.
Dynamic Reconfiguration Manipulability for Redundant Manipulators
Authors: Minami Mamoru , Li Xiang , Matsuno Takayuki , Yanou Akira
Published: May 2016

This paper analyzes the dynamics of robotic manipulator based on a concept called dynamic reconfiguration manipulability (DRM), which gauges the dynamical shape-changeability of a robot based on the redundancy of the robot and the premise that the primary task is the hand task. DRM represents how much acceleration each intermediate link can generate and in what direction the acceleration can be realized based on normalized torque inputs. This concept will aid in the optimization of the design and control of robots. The appropriateness and usefulness of DRM were confirmed by applying it to redundant manipulators and comparing it with the known concept of avoidance manipulability.
Experimental and Numerical Heat Transfer Investigation of an Impinging Jet Array on a Target Plate Roughened by Cubic Micro Pin Fins1
Authors: Brakmann Robin , Chen Lingling , Weigand Bernhard , Crawford Michael
Published: May 2016

A generic impingement cooling system for turbomachinery application is modeled experimentally and numerically to investigate heat transfer and pressure loss characteristics. The experimental setup consists of an array of 9 × 9 jets impinging on a target plate with cubic micro pin fins. The cubic micro pin fins have an edge length of 0.22 D and enlarge the target area by 150%. Experimentally heat transfer is measured by the transient liquid crystal (TLC) method. The transient method used requires a heated jet impinging on a cold target plate. As reference temperature for the heat transfer coefficient, we use the total jet inlet temperature which is measured via thermocouples in the jet center. The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was realized within the software package ANSYS CFX. This model uses a Steady-state 3D Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) approach and the shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model. Boundary conditions are chosen to mimic the experiments as close as possible. The effects of different jet-to-plate spacing (H/D = 3–5), crossflow schemes, and jet Reynolds number (15,000–35,000) are investigated experimentally and numerically. The results include local Nusselt numbers as well as area and line averaged values. Numerical simulations allow a detailed insight into the fluid mechanics of the problem and complement experimental measurements. A good overall agreement of experimental and numerical behavior for all investigated cases could be reached. Depending on the crossflow scheme, the cubic micro pin fin setup increases the heat flux to about 134–142% compared to a flat target plate. At the same time, the Nusselt number slightly decreases. The micro pin fins increase the pressure loss by not more than 14%. The results show that the numerical model predicts the heat transfer characteristics of the cubic micro pin fins in a satisfactory way.
Regain in Body Mass After Weigh-In is Linked to Success in Real Life Judo Competition
Authors: Reale Reid , Cox Gregory R. , Slater Gary , Burke Louise M.
Published: May 2016

We examined the relationship between the regain of body mass (BM) after weigh-in and success in real-life judo competition. Eighty-six (36 females, 50 males) senior judoka volunteered for this observational study of an international judo competition. Subjects were weighed at the official weigh-in and one hour before their first competition fight (15–20 hr later). Regain in BM after weigh-in was compared between medal winners and nonmedalists, winners and losers of each fight, males and females and across weight divisions. Heavyweights were excluded from analysis. Prefight BM was greater than BM at official weigh-in for both males and females, with % BM gains of 2.3 ± 2.0 (p ≤ .0001; ES= 1.59; CI95% [1.63, 2.98]) and 3.1 ± 2.2 (p ≤ .0001; ES = 2.03; CI95% [2.30, 3.89]), respectively. No significant differences were found between weight divisions for post weigh-in BM regain. Differences in post weigh-in BM regain were significantly higher in medal winners than nonmedalists for males and females combined (1.4 ± 0.4% BM; p = .0026; ES= 0.69; CI95% [0.05, 2.34]) and for males alone (1.5 ± 0.6% BM; p = .017; ES= 0.74; CI95% [0.02, 2.64]), but not for females (1.2 ± 0.7% BM; p = .096; ES = 0.58; CI95% [-0.02, 2.31]). Differences in BM regain after weigh-in between winners and losers were significant across all fights (0.9 ± 0.3% BM; p = .0021; ES= 0.43; CI95% [0.31, 1.41]) but not for first round fights (0.8 ± 0.5% BM; p = .1386, ES = 0.38; CI95% [-0.26, 1.86]). Winners showed a greater regain in BM post weigh-in than losers. This may reflect the greater magnitude of the BM loss needed to achieve weigh-in targets which also relates to the experience level of successful athletes.
Alterations in Hemoglobin and Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D are Related Before and After Weight Loss Independent of African Admixture
Authors: Carter Stephen J. , Plaisance Eric P. , Fisher Gordon , Fernandez Jose R. , Gower Barbara A. , Hunter Gary R.
Published: May 2016

African American (AA) and European American (EA) women often exhibit differences in hemoglobin (Hb) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], both of which can be altered by calorie restriction leading to weight loss. Given these known differences, it is of clinical interest to examine the potential for race-specific, adverse responses to weight loss. Sixty-four overweight (BMI 27–29.9 kg/m2), premenopausal women consumed a standardized, very-low calorie diet to reduce BMI < 25 kg/m2. Ancestry informative markers provided estimates of African admixture, an objective mean of expressing race. Blood sampling and anthropometric measures were performed at baseline and upon meeting target BMI. At baseline, in the overweight state, Hb (g/dL) (AA, 11.7 ± 0.9 vs. EA, 12.5 ± 0.8; p < .01) and 25(OH)D (nmol/L) (AA, 35.7 ± 12.9 vs. EA, 57.0 ± 20.0; p < .01) were lower in AAs. After weight loss, Hb decreased (AA, -0.5 ± 0.7 vs. EA, -0.4 ± 0.6; p = .48) to a similar extent among races. Conversely, 25(OH)D increased (AA, 43.4 ± 14.0 vs. EA 68.2 ± 24.3; p < .01) though the magnitude of change (Δ) was not different (AA, +7.8 ± 13.5 vs. EA, +11.2 ± 16.7; p = .37) between races. Multiple linear regression revealed a positive association between ΔHb and Δ25(OH)D (r = .386; p < .01) adjusted for African admixture, Δtestosterone, and Δbody fat%. Path analyses revealed a significant indirect effect of Δbody fat% on ΔHb through Δ25(OH)D, β =-0.023, CI [-0.06, -0.004]. Following 15% weight loss, participants with the largest increase in serum 25(OH)D exhibited the smallest decrease in Hb. Future research should clarify the optimal degree of calorie restriction to stimulate weight loss while mitigating the potential risk of anemia associated with dieting efforts.
Four Keys to Building a Championship Culture
Authors: Vallée Chantal N. , Bloom Gordon A.
Published: May 2016

Winning a national championship is a rare feat; winning five consecutive championships is extraordinary. One such example has recently occurred with the University of Windsor women’s basketball team which competes in the Canadian interuniversity sports league. The team’s head coach, Chantal Vallée, has a combined regular season and playoff winning percentage greater than 80%, including winning five consecutive Canadian national championships. Even more astounding is that before her appointment the school had only four winning seasons in their 50-year history, and had never hosted a playoff game. The purpose of this paper is to explain the remarkable turnaround of this program. This article will provide both the “what” (Enacting The Vision; Athlete Empowerment; Teaching Life Skills; Lifelong Learning and Personal Reflection) and the “how” (blueprint) of the transformation of the University of Windsor women’s basketball into a perennial national contender.
Coaches’ Perspectives of Intrateam Competition in High Performance Sport Teams
Authors: Harenberg Sebastian , Riemer Harold A. , Karreman Erwin , Dorsch Kim D.
Published: May 2016

Competition is a common phenomenon and occurs frequently in sports. In high performance sports, competition takes place not only between teams (interteam competition) but also within a team (intrateam competition). In the intrateam competition, coaches might play a central role because of their power to structure competition within their teams. Yet, there is a lack of research exploring how coaches facilitate this type of competition. Consequently, the purpose of this study was to explore how university-level team sport coaches’ experience, structure and use intrateam competition. Eight full-time Canadian Interuniversity Sports head coaches participated in semistructured interviews. The participants indicated that intrateam competition involves two distinct types of competition: situational and positional competition. While situational competition occurs primarily in practices, positional competition is an ongoing, continual process in which athletes who occupy the same position compete for playing time. The coaches shared important considerations about how to carefully structure and use both types of competition constructively. The study is an original account of intrateam competition as a multifaceted, constructive process within high performance sport teams.
Antithrombin deficiency in pregnancy
Authors: Durai Shivani , Tan Lay Kok , Lim Serene
Published: May 2016

We present a case of a 39-year-old, gravida 3 para 2, Chinese female with a history of inherited type 1 Antithrombin deficiency and multiple prior episodes of venous thromboembolism. She presented at 29+4 weeks' gestation with severe pre-eclampsia complicated by haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelet (HELLP) syndrome. She subsequently underwent an emergency caesarean section for non-reassuring fetal status, which was complicated by postpartum haemorrhage secondary to uterine atony, requiring a B-Lynch suture intraoperatively.
Rare case of simultaneous enterococcal endocarditis and prosthetic joint infection
Authors: Tracy Sean I , Brown Sherry-Ann , Ratelle John T , Bhagra Anjali
Published: May 2016

A 59-year-old man was admitted with a 3-month history of daily fevers as well as bilateral knee pain and swelling. Medical history was significant for bilateral knee arthroplasties 4 years prior to admission. Two sets of peripheral blood cultures as well as bilateral knee synovial fluid grewEnterococcus faecaliswithin 10 hours. Transoesophageal echocardiography revealed aortic and mitral valve vegetations suggestive of infectious endocarditis, with severe regurgitation secondary to large size. The patient's hospitalisation was complicated by acute heart failure, necessitating emergent mitral valve repair and aortic valve replacement, followed shortly thereafter by bilateral total knee arthroplasty resection with placement of antibiotic spacers. He was treated with intravenous penicillin and gentamicin for 4 months and recovered fully. He underwent repeat bilateral knee arthroplasties and was placed on amoxicillin for 6 months postoperatively, with no further evidence of infection.
HOW TAXES AND REAL WAGE INFLEXIBILITY INTERACT TO MAKE TRADE DEFICITS ADDICTIVE: THE TERTIARY AND QUATERNARY BURDENS OF A TRANSFER
Authors: TOWER EDWARD , YE YIFAN VICTOR
Published: May 2016

Previous papers on the transfer problem pay scant attention to the problems caused by the distortionary taxation that extracts the gift from the donor nation or the cut in distortionary taxation that bestows the gift to the recipient nation. When combined with inflexibility in the real wage these changes in taxation and the transfer itself impose a considerable burden to the donor matched by a considerable blessing to the recipient. We explore these effects, and conclude that “The Great Rebalancing” between the US and China needed to cure the US trade deficit, i.e., to eliminate the transfer that China is making to the US may bestow a big burden on the US matched by a big blessing for China.
Geometric phase of a spin-1 2 particle coupled to a quantum vector operator
Authors: Aguilar Pedro , Chryssomalakos Chryssomalis , Guzmán Edgar
Published: May 2016

We calculate Berry’s phase when the driving field, to which a spin-[Formula: see text] is coupled adiabatically, rather than the familiar classical magnetic field, is a quantum vector operator, of noncommuting, in general, components, e.g. the angular momentum of another particle, or another spin. The geometric phase of the entire system, spin plus “quantum driving field”, is first computed, and is then subdivided into the two subsystems, using the Schmidt decomposition of the total wave function — the resulting expression shows a marked, purely quantum effect, involving the commutator of the field components. We also compute the corresponding mean “classical” phase, involving a precessing magnetic field in the presence of noise, up to terms quadratic in the noise amplitude — the results are shown to be in excellent agreement with numerical simulations in the literature. Subtleties in the relation between the quantum and classical case are pointed out, while three concrete examples illustrate the scope and internal consistency of our treatment.
ASYMPTOTIC APPROXIMATIONS FOR PRICING DERIVATIVES UNDER MEAN-REVERTING PROCESSES
Authors: JORDAN RICHARD , TIER CHARLES
Published: May 2016

The problem of fast pricing, hedging, and calibrating of derivatives is considered when the underlying does not follow the standard Black–Scholes–Merton model but rather a mean-reverting and deterministic volatility model. Mean-reverting models are often used for volatility, commodities, and interest-rate derivatives, while the deterministic volatility accounts for the nonconstant implied volatility. Trading desks often use numerical methods for real-time pricing, hedging, and calibration when implementing such models. A more efficient alternative is to use an analytic formula, even if only approximate. A systematic approach is presented, based on the WKB or ray method, to derive asymptotic approximations to the density function that can be used to derive simple formulas for pricing derivatives. Such approximations are usually only valid away from any boundaries, yet for some derivatives the values of the underlying near the boundaries are needed such as when interest rates are very low or for pricing put options. Hence, the ray approximation may not yield acceptable results. A new asymptotic approximation near boundaries is derived, which is shown to be of value for pricing certain derivatives. The results are illustrated by deriving new analytic approximations for European derivatives and their high accuracy is demonstrated numerically.
The evolution of corrole synthesis — from simple one-pot strategies to sophisticated ABC-corroles
Authors: König Michael , Faschinger Felix , Reith Lorenz Michael , Schöfberger Wolfgang
Published: May 2016

This review highlights synthesis procedures to obtain A3-, cis- and trans- A2B- and ABC-corroles. Synthesis methods from the early beginning of “corrole chemistry”, acid-catalyzed condensation methods of various building blocks (pyrrole, aldehyde, dipyrromethane, dipyrromethane-carbinol, and dipyrromethane-dicarbinol etc.), possible side reaction during Brønsted acid catalyzed reactions (scrambling), one-pot synthesis of corroles, and post-macrocyclization modification reactions of meso-substituted A3-corroles are discussed.
Fast and accurate exercise policies for Bermudan swaptions in the LIBOR market model
Authors: Karlsson Patrik , Jain Shashi , Oosterlee Cornelis W.
Published: May 2016

This paper describes an American Monte Carlo approach for obtaining fast and accurate exercise policies for pricing of callable LIBOR Exotics (e.g., Bermudan swaptions) in the LIBOR market model using the Stochastic Grid Bundling Method (SGBM). SGBM is a bundling and regression based Monte Carlo method where the continuation value is projected onto a space where the distribution is known. We also demonstrate an algorithm to obtain accurate and tight lower–upper bound values without the need for nested Monte Carlo simulations.
A Server-Assigned Spatial Crowdsourcing Framework
Authors: To Hien , Shahabi Cyrus , Kazemi Leyla
Published: May 2016

With the popularity of mobile devices,
spatial crowdsourcing
is rising as a new framework that enables human workers to solve tasks in the physical world. With spatial crowdsourcing, the goal is to crowdsource a set of spatiotemporal tasks (i.e., tasks related to time and location) to a set of workers, which requires the workers to physically travel to those locations in order to perform the tasks. In this article, we focus on one class of spatial crowdsourcing, in which the workers send their locations to the server and thereafter the server assigns to every worker tasks in proximity to the worker’s location with the aim of maximizing the overall number of assigned tasks. We formally define this
maximum task assignment (MTA)
problem in spatial crowdsourcing, and identify its challenges. We propose alternative solutions to address these challenges by exploiting the spatial properties of the problem space, including the spatial distribution and the travel cost of the workers. MTA is based on the assumptions that all tasks are of the same type and all workers are equally qualified in performing the tasks. Meanwhile, different types of tasks may require workers with various skill sets or expertise. Subsequently, we extend MTA by taking the expertise of the workers into consideration. We refer to this problem as the
maximum score assignment (MSA)
problem and show its practicality and generality. Extensive experiments with various synthetic and two real-world datasets show the applicability of our proposed framework.
Generating Moving Regions from Snapshots of Complex Regions
Authors: Mckennney Mark , Frye Roger
Published: May 2016

Moving regions are a form of spatiotemporal data in which a region changes in shape and/or position over time. In many fields, moving regions representing real-world phenomena are collected using sensors that take temporally encoded snapshots of regions. We provide a novel algorithm that creates a moving region between any two complex regions. The proposed algorithm has worst-case time bounds of
O;
(
n;
2
), but can use approximation techniques to achieve
O
(
n
lg
n
) in practice, space bounds of
O;
(
n;
), and output size bounded by
O;
(
n;
) (where
n;
is the number of line segments that define the boundaries of the regions).
Multirow Boundary-Labeling Algorithms for Panorama Images
Authors: Gemsa Andreas , Haunert Jan-Henrik , Nöllenburg Martin
Published: May 2016

Boundary labeling deals with placing annotations for objects in an image on the boundary of that image. This problem occurs frequently in situations in which placing labels directly in the image is impossible or produces too much visual clutter. Examples are annotating maps, photos, or technical/medical illustrations. Previous algorithmic results for boundary labeling consider a single layer of labels along some or all sides of a rectangular image. If, however, the number of labels is large or the labels are too long, multiple layers of labels are needed.

In this article, we study boundary labeling for panorama images, where
n
points in a rectangle
R
are to be annotated by disjoint unit-height rectangular labels placed above
R
in
K
different rows (or layers). Each point is connected to its label by a vertical leader that does not intersect any other label. We present polynomial time algorithms based on dynamic programming that either minimize the number of rows to place all
n
labels or maximize the number (or total weight) of labels that can be placed in
K
rows for a given integer
K
. For weighted labels, the problem is shown to be (weakly) NP-hard; in this case, we give a pseudo-polynomial algorithm to maximize the weight of the selected labels. We have implemented our algorithms; the experimental results show that solutions for realistically sized instances are computed instantaneously. We have also investigated two-sided panorama labeling, for which the labels may be placed above or below the panorama image. In this model, all of the aforementioned problems are NP-hard. For solving them, we propose mixed-integer linear program formulations.
Employing Software-Managed Caches in OpenACC
Authors: Lashgar Ahmad , Baniasadi Amirali
Published: May 2016

The OpenACC programming model has been developed to simplify accelerator programming and improve development productivity. In this article, we investigate the main limitations faced by OpenACC in harnessing all capabilities of GPU-like accelerators. We build on our findings and discuss the opportunity to exploit a software-managed cache as (i) a fast communication medium and (ii) a cache for data reuse. To this end, we propose a new directive and communication model for OpenACC. Investigating several benchmarks, we show that the proposed directive can improve performance up to 2.54× , and at the cost of minor programming effort.
Validating the Simulation of Large-Scale Parallel Applications Using Statistical Characteristics
Authors: Zhang Deli , Wilke Jeremiah , Hendry Gilbert , Dechev Damian
Published: May 2016

Simulation is a widely adopted method to analyze and predict the performance of large-scale parallel applications. Validating the hardware model is highly important for complex simulations with a large number of parameters. Common practice involves calculating the percent error between the projected and the real execution time of a benchmark program. However, in a high-dimensional parameter space, this coarse-grained approach often suffers from parameter insensitivity, which may not be known
a priori
. Moreover, the traditional approach cannot be applied to the validation of software models, such as application skeletons used in online simulations. In this work, we present a methodology and a toolset for validating both hardware and software models by quantitatively comparing fine-grained statistical characteristics obtained from execution traces. Although statistical information has been used in tasks like performance optimization, this is the first attempt to apply it to simulation validation. Our experimental results show that the proposed evaluation approach offers significant improvement in fidelity when compared to evaluation using total execution time, and the proposed metrics serve as reliable criteria that progress toward automating the simulation tuning process.
Area-Preserving Simplification and Schematization of Polygonal Subdivisions
Authors: Buchin Kevin , Meulemans Wouter , Renssen André Van , Speckmann Bettina
Published: May 2016

In this article, we study automated simplification and schematization of territorial outlines. We present a quadratic-time simplification algorithm based on an operation called
edge-move
. We prove that the number of edges of any nonconvex simple polygon can be reduced with this operation. Moreover, edge-moves preserve area and topology and do not introduce new orientations. The latter property in particular makes the algorithm highly suitable for schematization in which all resulting lines are required to be parallel to one of a given set of lines (orientations). To obtain such a result, we need only to preprocess the input to use only lines that are parallel to one of the given set. We present an algorithm to enforce such orientation restrictions, again without changing area or topology. Experiments show that our algorithms obtain results of high visual quality.
Estimating the Transmission Probability in Wireless Networks with Configuration Models
Authors: Bermolen Paola , Jonckheere Matthieu , Larroca Federico , Moyal Pascal
Published: May 2016

We propose a new methodology to estimate the probability of successful transmissions for random access scheduling in wireless networks, in particular those using Carrier Sense Multiple Access (CSMA). Instead of focusing on spatial configurations of users, we model the interference between users as a random graph. Using configuration models for random graphs, we show how the properties of the medium access mechanism are captured by some deterministic differential equations when the size of the graph gets large. Performance indicators such as the probability of connection of a given node can then be efficiently computed from these equations. We also perform simulations to illustrate the results on different types of random graphs. Even on spatial structures, these estimates get very accurate as soon as the variance of the interference is not negligible.
Estimation of Flow Distributions from Sampled Traffic
Authors: Antunes Nelson , Pipiras Vladas
Published: May 2016

This work addresses the problem of estimating the distributions of packet flow sizes and durations under several methods of sampling packets. Two approaches, one based on inversion and the other on asymptotics, are considered. For the duration distribution, in particular, both approaches require modeling the structure of flows, with the duration distribution being characterized in terms of the IATs (interarrival times between packets) and size distributions of a flow. The inversion of the flow IAT distribution from sampled flow quantities, along with the inversion of the flow size distribution (already used in the literature) allows estimating the flow duration distribution. Motivated by the limitations of the inversion approach in estimating the distribution tails for some sampling methods, an asymptotic approach is developed to estimate directly the distribution tails of flow durations and sizes from sampled quantities. The adequacy of both approaches to estimate the flow distributions is checked against two real Internet traces.
Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) alarm calls to leopards (Panthera pardus) function as a predator deterrent
Authors: Isbell Lynne A. , Bidner Laura R.
Published: May 2016

Behavioural predator–prey interactions are difficult to study, especially when predators avoid humans. To gain greater understanding of their dynamism, we conducted a 14-month field study in which we minimized human presence by employing acoustic recorders and camera traps, along with GPS collars deployed on vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) and leopards (Panthera pardus) in Laikipia, Kenya. Recordings at the vervets’ sleeping site revealed that they gave ‘leopard’ alarm calls most frequently near dusk and dawn, whereas photographs showed that leopards approached vervets more closely at night, when the monkeys alarm-called less often. GPS data showed that after vervets alarm-called, leopards within 200 m quickly moved away, changing direction, but when vervets did not alarm-call, leopards continued moving forward. These results reveal that vervets’ leopard alarm calls function as a predator deterrent in addition to a conspecific warning call.
Intellectual Property and Public Health in the Developing World
Authors: Azam Monirul
Published: May 2016

Across the world, developing countries are attempting to balance the international standards of intellectual property concerning pharmaceutical patents against the urgent need for accessible and affordable medicines. In this timely and necessary book, Monirul Azam examines the attempts of several developing countries to walk this fine line. He evaluates the experiences of Brazil, China, India, and South Africa for lessons to guide Bangladesh and developing nations everywhere. Azam's legal expertise, concern for public welfare, and compelling grasp of principal case studies make Intellectual Property and Public Health in the Developing World a definitive work.

The developing world is striving to meet the requirements of the World Trade Organization's TRIPS Agreement on intellectual property. This book sets out with lucidity and insight the background of the TRIPS Agreement and its implications for pharmaceutical patents, the consequences for developing countries, and the efforts of certain representative nations to comply with international stipulations while still maintaining local industry and public health. Azam then brings the weight of this research to bear on the particular case of Bangladesh, offering a number of specific policy recommendations for the Bangladeshi government—and for governments the world over.

Intellectual Property and Public Health in the Developing World is a must-read for public policy-makers, academics and students, non-governmental organizations, and readers everywhere who are interested in making sure that developing nations meet the health care needs of their people.
Infrastructure for genomic interactions: Bioconductor classes for Hi-C, ChIA-PET and related experiments
Authors: Lun Aaron T. L. , Perry Malcolm , Ing-Simmons Elizabeth
Published: May 2016

The study of genomic interactions has been greatly facilitated by techniques such as chromatin conformation capture with high-throughput sequencing (Hi-C). These genome-wide experiments generate large amounts of data that require careful analysis to obtain useful biological conclusions. However, development of the appropriate software tools is hindered by the lack of basic infrastructure to represent and manipulate genomic interaction data. Here, we present the InteractionSet package that provides classes to represent genomic interactions and store their associated experimental data, along with the methods required for low-level manipulation and processing of those classes. The InteractionSet package exploits existing infrastructure in the open-source Bioconductor project, while in turn being used by Bioconductor packages designed for higher-level analyses. For new packages, use of the functionality in InteractionSet will simplify development, allow access to more features and improve interoperability between packages.
Tomasz Jarmużek and Marcin Tkaczyk: “Normalne logiki pozycyjne” (Normal Positional Logics), Wydawnictwo KUL, Lublin (Poland), 2015
Authors: Klonowski Mateusz
Published: May 2016

Book Reviews: Tomasz Jarmużek and Marcin Tkaczyk, Normalne logiki pozycyjne (Normal Positional Logics), Wydawnictwo KUL, Lublin (Poland), 2015, 202 pages, ISBN 978-838061-114-6.
The influence of activities based on GEMS with the theme of earth crust on the fourth grade students' conceptual understanding and scientific process skills
Authors: Çelik Mustafa , Tekbıyık Ahmet
Published: May 2016

This study aimed to determine the influence of the activities developed based on GEMS on students' conceptual understanding and scientific process skills on the subject of "Earth Crust". Mixed method, which includes the collective use of qualitative and quantitative research methods, was employed in this study. The study was carried out in a public village school located in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Turkey. The research sample consisted of the 4th grade students of this school. 13 students participated in the study. Data were collected by Scientific Process Skills Test, Conceptual Understanding Test, and semi-structured interviews. Six successive activities were conducted. These activities are as follows: Field Trip, Let's Examine the Rocks, Factors Influential on Soil Formation (Parental Involvement), Erosion, Fossils and Rocks with an Economic Value, and Mathematical Modeling. The research findings show that an improvement occurred in the understanding levels of the students regarding the concepts of rock, metal, fossil, soil formation, and erosion as a result of the activities conducted. In addition, they had an opportunity to make observations, collect, record, and analyze data. Moreover, the activities were supported by mathematical skills such as measuring, modeling, and creating graphs.
Sustainable monetary policy and inflation expectations
Authors: Armenter Roc
Published: May 2016

The short-term nominal interest rate can anchor private-sector expectations into low inflation – more precisely, into the best equilibrium reputation can sustain. I introduce nominal asset markets in an infinite horizon version of the Barro-Gordon model and characterize the subset of sustainable policies compatible with any given asset price system at date
Survey of context information fusion for ubiquitous
Internet-of-Things (IoT) systems
Authors: Borges Vijay
Published: May 2016

Internet-of-Things (IoT) is the latest buzzword,
havings its origins in the erstwhile Sensor Networks. Sensor
Networks produce a large amount of data. According to
the needs this data requires to be processed, delivered and
accessed. This processed data when made available with
the physical device location, user preferences, time constraints;
generically called as context-awareness; is widely
referred to as the core function for ubiquitous systems. To
our best knowledge there is lack of analysis of context information
fusion for ubiquitous sensor networks. Adopting
appropriate information fusion techniques can help
in screening noisy measurements, control data in the network
and take necessary inferences that can help in contextual
computing. In this paper we try and explore different
context information fusion techniques by comparing
a large number of solutions, their methods, architectures
and models. All the surveyed techniques can be adapted
to the IoT framework.