Economic pause - some perspective and interpretation

Economic conditions

Inflation and taxes: disincentives for capital formation

Inflation (Finance) ; Taxation

Economic Values of Saginaw Bay Coastal Marshes

We estimate the economic values of Saginaw Bay coastal marshes with multiple methods. First we estimate the value of coastal marsh recreation with two variations of the travel cost method: the single-site recreation demand model and the recreation site selection or random utility model. Using the single site model the current level of day trip recreation in the Saginaw Bay coastal marsh area is valued at almost $16 million each year. The present value is$239 million. Using the site selection travel cost model, an increase in 1125 acres of coastal marsh is valued at about $94,000 annually. The present value is$1.83 million. Willingness to pay for recreation and other values of coastal marsh protection is estimated using the contingent valuation method. The annual value of protection of 1125 acres of coastal marsh is $113,000. The present value is$2.2 million.

Magneto-elastic coupling and competing entropy changes in substituted CoMnSi metamagnets

We use neutron diffraction, magnetometry and low temperature heat capacity to probe giant magneto-elastic coupling in CoMnSi-based antiferromagnets and to establish the origin of the entropy change that occurs at the metamagnetic transition in such compounds. We find a large difference between the electronic density of states of the antiferromagnetic and high magnetisation states. The magnetic field-induced entropy change is composed of this contribution and a significant counteracting lattice component, deduced from the presence of negative magnetostriction. In calculating the electronic entropy change, we note the importance of using an accurate model of the electronic density of states, which here varies rapidly close to the Fermi energy.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures. Figures 4 and 6 were updated in v2 of this preprint. In v3, figures 1 and 2 have been updated, while Table II and the abstract have been extended. In v4, Table I has updated with relevant neutron diffraction dat

Skewness and kurtosis properties of income distribution models

This paper explores the ability of some popular income distributions to model observed skewness and kurtosis. We present the generalized beta type 1 (GB1) and type 2 (GB2) distributions' skewness-kurtosis spaces and clarify and expand on previously known results on other distributions' skewness-kurtosis spaces. Data from the Luxembourg Income Study are used to estimate sample moments and explore the ability of the generalized gamma, Dagum, Singh-Maddala, beta of the first kind, beta of the second kind, GB1, and GB2 distributions to accommodate the skewness and kurtosis values. The GB2 has the flexibility to accurately describe the observed skewness and kurtosis

Femur first navigation can reduce impingement severity compared to traditional free hand total hip arthroplasty.

Impingement is a major source of dislocation and aseptic loosening in total hip arthroplasty (THA). We compared impingement free range of motion (ROM) using a novel computer navigated femur first approach to conventional THA. In addition, impingement between genders was also explored. In a retrospective analysis of 121 THA patients, subject-specific post-operative ROM was simulated using post-operative 3D-CT data, and compared with the benchmark ROM, essential for activities of daily living. Three parameters were defined to express both implant-to-implant (ITI) and bone-to-bone (BTB) impingement - coverage percentage, third angle, and impingement severity. Although coverage percentage was similar between the navigated and conventional group for both ITI (p = 0.69) and BTB (p = 0.82) impingement, third angle was significantly reduced in the navigation group for both ITI (p = 0.02) and BTB (p = 0.05) impingement. Impingement severity for both ITI (p = 0.01) and BTB (p = 0.05) was significantly decreased in the navigation group compared to the conventional. Impingement severity in men was considerably higher compared to women for both ITI (p = 0.002) and BTB (p = 0.02). Navigation guided femur first THA is able to improve alignment of ROM axis, and consequently, to reduce impingement in THA. Men seem to be more prone to impingement than women

Moving towards in-line metrology : evaluation of a Laser Radar system for in-line dimensional inspection for automotive assembly systems

The increasing interest towards intelligent systems has led to a demand for the development of zero-defect strategies, with a paradigm shift from off-line and dedicated to in-line metrology with integrated robotic systems. However, a major barrier preventing the systematic uptake of in-line metrology is the lack of evaluation of system capability in terms of accuracy, repeatability and measurement time, when compared to the well-established coordinate measuring machine (CMM). In this study, a robotic Laser Radar (LR) solution is assessed in the context of automotive dimensional inspection of Body-In-White (BIW) applications. The objective is both to understand the effect of robot re-positioning error on measurement accuracy and repeatability and to compare measurement results against a CMM. Eighty-one surface points, six edge points, twenty-five holes and sixteen slots were selected from an industry standard measurement plan. Whilst LR exhibits a lower measurement accuracy than twin-column CMM, its repeatability is well within the specification limits for body shell quality inspection. Therefore, as a real-time in-line metrology tool, it is a genuine prospect to exploit. This research makes a significant contribution toward in-line metrology for dimensional inspection, for automotive application, for rapid detection and for correction of assembly defects in real time, with subsequent reduction of scrap and number of repairs/re-works

Translational Research from an Informatics Perspective

Clinical and translational research (CTR) is an essential part of a sustainable global health system. Informatics is now recognized as an important en-abler of CTR and informaticians are increasingly called upon to help CTR efforts. The US National Institutes of Health mandated biomedical informatics activity as part of its new national CTR grant initiative, the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). Traditionally, translational re-search was defined as the translation of laboratory discoveries to patient care (bench to bedside). We argue, however, that there are many other kinds of translational research. Indeed, translational re-search requires the translation of knowledge dis-covered in one domain to another domain and is therefore an information-based activity. In this panel, we will expand upon this view of translational research and present three different examples of translation to illustrate the point: 1) bench to bedside, 2) Earth to space and 3) academia to community. We will conclude with a discussion of our local translational research efforts that draw on each of the three examples

Production of intense, coherent, tunable narrow‐band lyman‐alpha radiation

Nearly transform limited pulses of 1216 Å radiation have been generated by sum frequency generation in 0.1 to 10 torr of mercury vapor. The summed input beams, consisting of photons at 3127 Å and 5454 Å originate in 1 MHz band‐width ring‐dye laser oscillators. The beams are amplified in pulsed‐dye amplifiers pumped by the frequency doubled output of a Nd:YAG laser. The 3127 Å photons are tuned to be resonant with the two‐photon 61S to 71S mercury transition. The VUV radiation can be tuned by varying the frequency of the third non‐resonant photon. We have also observed difference frequency generation at 2193 Å and intense fluorescence from the 61P state at 1849 Å. We have studied the intensity and linewidth dependence of the 1849 Å fluorescence and 1216 Å sum frequency signals on input beam intensity, mercury density, and buffer gas pressure and composition.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/87716/2/49_1.pd