Search

The Silurian Croagh Patrick succession, which crops out just south of a fundamental Caledonian structural zone near Clew Bay, western Ireland, is a series of psammites and pelites with a strong penetrative cleavage. These rocks are intruded by the Corvock granite. A suite of minor intrusions associated with the granite contains the regional cleavage whereas the Corvock granite is undeformed. New U-Pb dates are 413 +7 / -4 Ma for a strongly cleaved sill and 410 [+ or -] 4 Ma for the main granite, and closely constrain the age of crystallization of the granite and coeval cleavage formation as Lower Devonian (Lochkovian or Pragian), implying syn- to late-kinematic granite emplacement. These data are consistent with evidence for strong sinistral shear shown by the Ox Mountains granodiorite just to the northeast dated at 412.3 [+ or -] 0.8 Ma. This Devonian cleavage is superimposed on Ordovician rocks of the South Mayo Trough. The localisation of the strong deformation is interpreted as being due to its position at a restraining bend during regional sinistral motion on a segment of the Fair Head - Clew Bay Line to the north. Contemporaneous deformation in the syn-kinematic Donegal batholith suggests a transfer of sinistral motion to this intra-Grampian structure rather than simple along-strike linkage to the Highland Boundary Fault in Scotland. Our new data indicate diachronous deformation during the late Silurian and early Devonian history of the Irish and Scottish Caledonides and also support previous interpretations of diachronous deformation between these areas and the Appalachian orogens. Key words: Caledonides, geochronology, granites, cleavage formation, Ireland, Devonian. La succession silurienne de Croagh Patrick, qui affleure immediatement au sud d'une zone structurale Caledonienne fondamentale pres de Clew Bay, dans l'ouest de l' Irlande, consiste en une serie de psammites et de pelites presentant un clivage penetratif marque. Ces roches sont recoupees par le granite de Corvock. Une suite d'intrusions mineures associees au granite contient le clivage regional, alors que le granite de Corvock n'est pas deforme. Des nouveaux ages U-Pb de 413 +7 / -4 Ma pour un filon-couche au clivage fortement developpe et de 410 [+ or -] 4 Ma pour le granite principal delimitent etroitement l' age de cristallisation du granite et de la formation contemporaine du clivage comme etant Devonien inferieur (Lochkovien ou Praguien), ce qui sous-entend une mise en place syn- a tardicinematique du granite. Ces donnees concordent avec des preuves d'un cisaillement senestre intense revelees par la granodiorite des Ox Mountains immediatement au nordest, qui a produit un age de 412,3 [+ or -] 0,8 Ma. Ce clivage Devonien est superpose sur des roches ordoviciennes de la fosse de South Mayo. La localisation de la deformation intense est interpretee comme etant le resultat de son emplacement dans un crochon restrictif durant le mouvement senestre regional sur un segment de la ligne de Fair Head - Clew Bay au nord. Une deformation contemporaine dans le batholite syncinematique de Donegal indiquerait un transfert du mouvement senestre a cette structure intra-grampienne, plutot qu'une simple connexion parallelement a sa direction a la Highland Boundary Fault en Ecosse. Nos nouvelles donnees indiquent une deformation diachronique durant l 'evolution au Silurien tardif et au Devonien precoce des Caledonides irlandaises et ecossaises et appuient egalement des interpretations anterieures du diachronisme de la deformation entre ces secteurs et l'orogene des Appalaches. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: Caledonides, geochronologie, granites, formation de clivage, Irlande, Devonien., Introduction and regional geology The geology of South Mayo in western Ireland is an important area in understanding the history of the Laurentian margin. It is the only location where [...]

The rise of China has been the defining feature of the twenty-first century global economy. In a globalizing marketplace, Chinas low-cost labor became a huge attractor of foreign direct investment. [...]

Donald Trump seems determined to go down in history as a deregulator. This is surprising because no other post-World War II president--except perhaps Ronald Reagan--has exhibited such public commitment to [...]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed for public comment new higher estimates of damages from greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The estimates, called the social cost of carbon (SCC), are [...]

Globalization and advanced technology have defined twenty-first century manufacturing, creating a hyper-competitive environment where continuous growth in productivity has become imperative--not just for the success of firms, but for their [...]

Even though we are now more than a year into his administration, too little is known about President Biden's regulatory-reform agenda to make confident predictions about lasting change. However, one [...]

We provide new evidence that the subjective 'look of competence' rather than beauty is important for CEO selection and compensation. Our experiments, studying the facial traits of CEOs using nearly 2,000 subjects, link facial characteristics to both CEO compensation and performance. In one experiment, we use pairs of photographs and find that subjects rate CEO faces as appearing more 'competent' than non-CEO faces. Another experiment matches CEOs from large firms against CEOs from smaller firms and finds large-firm CEOs look more competent. In a third experiment, subjects numerically score the facial traits of CEOs. We find competent looks are priced into CEO compensation, more so than attractiveness. Our evidence suggests this premium has a behavioral origin. First, we find no evidence that the premium is associated with superior performance. Second, we separately analyze inside and outside CEO hires and find that the competence compensation premium is driven by outside hires--the situation where first impressions are likely to be more important. History: Accepted by Lauren Cohen, finance. Keywords: first impressions * thin slicing * CEO selection * competence * likable * trustworthy * attractive * facial traits * CEO compensation * CEO performance * behavioral economics * behavioral finance, 1. Introduction A provocative economic theme suggests there is a 'beauty premium' in which attractive workers earn more than workers with below average looks (see, e.g., Hamermesh and Biddle 1994). [...]

In Canada, Indigenous people are over-represented among people experiencing homelessness and other forms of precarious housing. In an effort to better understand the varied factors that might contribute to this situation, administrative data collected about individuals utilizing housing support services in seven Alberta, Canada cities were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between a categorical dependent variable measuring two housing situations (permanent/stable housing and precarious housing) and demographic, socioeconomic, and personal health problem predictor variables for Indigenous people within the study sample (n=1106). The analysis found that living in a larger city, having more income and education, and being married were all protective factors from being precariously housed. Having an addiction was found to be a risk factor for precarious housing. The findings suggest the need for more detailed investigation of the impact of addictions on housing for Indigenous people along with an assessment of the types of housing resources available for Indigenous people in smaller urban communities. Keywords: Indigenous; precarious housing; addictions; homelessness; policy Les Autochtones sont surrepresentes parmi les personnes sans domicile et en situation de logement precaire au Canada. Afin de mieux comprendre les divers facteurs qui peuvent contribuer a cette situation, les donnees administratives individuelles des personnes utilisant les services de soutien au logement dans sept villes d'Alberta, ont ete analyses. Des modeles de regression logistique ont etes utilises pour analyser la relation entre une variable qualitative dependante mesurant deux situations de logement (logementpermanent/stable et logement precaire), et des variables de prediction dans l'echantillon (n=1106), tels les donnees demographiques et socio-economiques, et les problemes de sante individuels. L'analyse demontre que vivre dans un centre urbain plus grand, avoir un revenu et un niveau d'education plus eleve, et etre marie, sont tous des facteurs de protection contre le logement precaire. Un facteur de risque pour le logement precaire est d'avoir une toxicomanie. Les resultats de l'analyse suggerent qu'une investigation plus approfondie des impacts de la toxicomanie sur la precarite au logement des Autochtones, une investigation des types de ressources en logement disponibles dans les communautes urbaines plus petites pour les Autochtones semble necessaire. Mots-cles: Autochtones; logement precaire; toxicomanie; itinerance; politique, Introduction Precarious living is becoming more commonplace within Canada. This is evident in the increasing prevalence of precarious employment (such as temporary or part-time employment) and precarious housing (such as [...]

A new class of ultra-long-duration (more than 10,000 seconds) γ-ray bursts has recently been suggested (1-3). They may originate in the explosion of stars with much larger radii than those producing normal long-duration γ-ray bursts (3,4) or in the tidal disruption of a star (3). No clear supernova has yet been associated with an ultra-long-duration γ-ray burst. Here we report that a supernova (SN 2011kl) was associated with the ultra-long-duration γ-ray burst GRB 111209A, at a redshift z of 0.677. This supernova is more than three times more luminous than type Ic supernovae associated with long-duration γ-ray bursts (5-7), and its spectrum is distinctly different. The slope of the continuum resembles those of super-luminous supernovae (8,9), but extends further down into the rest-frame ultraviolet implying a low metal content. The light curve evolves much more rapidly than those of super-luminous supernovae. This combination of high luminosity and low metalline opacity cannot be reconciled with typical type Ic supernovae, but can be reproduced by a model where extra energy is injected by a strongly magnetized neutron star (a magnetar), which has also been proposed as the explanation for super-luminous supernovae (10)., GRB 111209A was detected by the Swift satellite at 07:12 UT on 9 December 2011. The X-ray and optical counterparts were discovered within minutes (11). The extraordinarily long duration of [...]

Although large areas of semi-arid land are extensively cropped, few studies have investigated the effect of nitrogen (N) fertiliser on nitrous oxide ([N.sub.2]O) emissions in these regions (Galbally et at. 2010). These emissions need to be measured in order to estimate N losses and calculate national greenhouse gas inventories. We examined the effect of different agronomic management practices applied to wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown on an alkaline Vertosol in southeastern Australia on [N.sub.2]O emissions. In 2007, [N.sub.2]O emissions were measured over 12 months, during which N fertiliser (urea) was applied at sowing or N fertiliser plus supplementary irrigation (50 mm) was applied during the vegetative stage and compared with a treatment of no N fertiliser or irrigation. In a second experiment (2008), the effect of source of N on [N.sub.2]O emissions was examined. Wheat was grown on plots where either a pulse (field peas, Pisum sativum) or pasture legume (barrel medic, Medicago truncatula) crop had been sown in the previous season compared with a non-legume crop (canola, Brassica napus). To account for the N supplied by the legume phase, N fertiliser (50 kg N [ha.sup.-1] as urea) was applied only to the wheat in the plots previously sown to canola. Fluxes of [N.sub.2]O were measured on a sub-daily basis (up to 16 measurements per chamber) by using automated chamber enclosures and a tuneable diode laser, and treatment differences were evaluated by a linear mixed model including cubic smoothing splines. Fluxes were low and highly variable, ranging from -3 to 28 ng [N.sub.2]O-N [m.sup.-2] [s.sup.-1]. The application of N fertiliser at sowing increased [N.sub.2]O emissions for ~2 months after the fertiliser was applied. Applying irrigation (50 mm) during the vegetative growth stage produced a temporary (~1-week) but non-significant increase in [N.sub.2]O emissions compared with plots that received N fertiliser at sowing but were not irrigated. Including a legume in the rotation significantly increased soil inorganic N at sowing of the following wheat crop by 38 kg N [ha.sup.-1] (field peas) or 57 kg ha 1 (barrel medic) compared with a canola crop. However, [N.sub.2]O emissions were greater in wheat plots where N fertiliser was applied than where wheat was sown into legume plots where no N fertiliser was applied. Over the 2 years of the field study, [N.sub.2]O emissions attributed to fertiliser ranged from 41 to 111 g [N.sub.2]O-N [ha.sup.-1], and averaged of 75 g [N.sub.2]O-N ha 1 or 0.15% of the applied N fertiliser. Our findings confirm that the proportion of N fertiliser emitted as [N.sub.2]O from rainfed grain crops grown in Australian semi-arid regions is less than the international average of 1.0%. Additional keywords: chamber, cubic smoothing spline, fertiliser emissions factor, greenhouse gas, [N.sub.2]O, nitrous oxide, soil, south-eastern Australia, wheat., Introduction Nitrous oxide ([N.sub.2]O) is a potent greenhouse gas with ~300 times the climate-warming effect of an equivalent quantity of carbon dioxide (Dalai et at. 2003). The concentration of [N.sub.2]O [...]

A distinctive feature of U.S. energy and environmental policy is a strong push to commercialize electric vehicles (EVs). The push began in the 1990s with California's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) [...]

I. INTRODUCTION The fuel tax has grown increasingly inadequate as a means of financing road infrastructure in the United States, primarily because it is not adjusted for inflation in the [...], The mileage user fee is a promising alternative to the fuel tax but public opposition is a barrier to implementation. We use a nationally representative survey with an embedded experimental design to determine the extent to which technology costs and perceived invasion of privacy influence public opinion regarding the adoption of mileage user fees. We find that the ratio of opponents to supporters is about four to one, and that public opposition can be attenuated by insulating motorists from a new one-time cost for GPS technology to measure mileage, and by providing safeguards that eliminate or minimize perceived invasions of privacy. Keywords: mileage road user fee, fuel tax, highway financing, public opinion JEL Codes: H2, H4, H54, R4

A new somite compartment, called the endotome, that contributes to the formation of the embryonic dorsal aorta by providing endothelial progenitors is identified here; endotome-derived endothelial progenitors, whose formation is regulated by the activity of the meox1 gene, induce haematopoietic stem cell formation upon colonization of the nascent dorsal aorta. Haematopoietic stem cells in the embryo Two papers published in this issue of Nature demonstrate the involvement of somites -- paired masses of mesoderm cells that form along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo -- in the generation of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during vertebrate development. Phong Dang Nguyen et al. identify a previously unknown somite compartment, called the endotome, which contributes to the formation of the embryonic dorsal aorta by providing endothelial progenitors. The formation of the endotome is regulated by the activity of meox1, a homeobox-containing transcription factor. Isao Kobayashi et al. report that the precursors of HSCs make direct contact with the somite during their embryonic migration and that the interaction is needed to receive the necessary Notch signal. They identify two adhesion molecules that mediate the contact: Jam1a, which is expressed by HSC precursors, and Jam2a, which is expressed by the somite. Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are self-renewing stem cells capable of replenishing all blood lineages. In all vertebrate embryos that have been studied, definitive HSCs are generated initially within the dorsal aorta (DA) of the embryonic vasculature by a series of poorly understood inductive events.sup.1,2,3. Previous studies have identified that signalling relayed from adjacent somites coordinates HSC induction, but the nature of this signal has remained elusive.sup.4. Here we reveal that somite specification of HSCs occurs via the deployment of a specific endothelial precursor population, which arises within a sub-compartment of the zebrafish somite that we have defined as the endotome. Endothelial cells of the endotome are specified within the nascent somite by the activity of the homeobox gene meox1. Specified endotomal cells consequently migrate and colonize the DA, where they induce HSC formation through the deployment of chemokine signalling activated in these cells during endotome formation. Loss of meox1 activity expands the endotome at the expense of a second somitic cell type, the muscle precursors of the dermomyotomal equivalent in zebrafish, the external cell layer. The resulting increase in endotome-derived cells that migrate to colonize the DA generates a dramatic increase in chemokine-dependent HSC induction. This study reveals the molecular basis for a novel somite lineage restriction mechanism and defines a new paradigm in induction of definitive HSCs., Author(s): Phong Dang Nguyen [sup.1] , Georgina Elizabeth Hollway [sup.2] [sup.3] , Carmen Sonntag [sup.1] , Lee Barry Miles [sup.1] , Thomas Edward Hall [sup.1] , Silke Berger [sup.1] , [...]

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are self-renewing stem cells capable of replenishing all blood lineages. In all vertebrate embryos that have been studied, definitive HSCs are generated initially within the dorsal aorta (DA) of the embryonic vasculature by a series of poorly understood inductive events (1-3). Previous studies have identified that signalling relayed from adjacent somites coordinates HSC induction, but the nature of this signal has remained elusive (4). Here we reveal that somite specification of HSCs occurs via the deployment of a specific endothelial precursor population, which arises within a sub-compartment of the zebrafish somite that we have defined as the endotome. Endothelial cells of the endotome are specified within the nascent somite by the activity of the homeobox gene meoxl. Specified endotomal cells consequently migrate and colonize the DA, where they induce HSC formation through the deployment of chemokine signalling activated in these cells during endotome formation. Loss of meoxl activity expands the endotome at the expense of a second somitic cell type, the muscle precursors of the dermomyotomal equivalent in zebrafish, the external cell layer. The resulting increase in endotome-derived cells that migrate to colonize the DA generates a dramatic increase in chemokine-dependent HSC induction. This study reveals the molecular basis for a novel somite lineage restriction mechanism and defines a new paradigm in induction of definitive HSCs., Cell lineage studies have demonstrated two cellular sources for the amniote DA, the splanchnic and somitic mesoderm (5-12). The zebrafish DA, by contrast, is believed to originate in toto from [...]

The increasingly precarious nature of North America's labour market has created challenges for young adults in securing and maintaining adequate employment. In a study to better understand these barriers, one-to-one interviews and focus groups were conducted with 36 young adults (between ages 18 and 29) in a neighborhood in Toronto, Canada. Findings show that varying forms of discrimination experienced and perceived by young job seekers, along with expectations of employers within current labour markets, act as key barriers to successful labour market attachment. The findings suggest that the challenges to attach to the labour market can have a lasting psychosocial impact on young people. Consequently, the negative socio-cultural perceptions of young adults and those that hold them, in conjunction with the precariousness of a labour market that supports and maintains social inequality, must be addressed through more substantive policy, regulatory and program based initiatives. La nature de plus en plus precaire du marche du travail en Amerique du Nord a cree des difficultes pour les jeunes adultes a obtenir et conserver un emploi convenable. Dans une etude afin de mieux comprendre ces obstacles, des entrevues et des groupes de discussion en tete-atete ont ete menees aupres de 36 jeunes adultes (entre 18 et 29 ans) dans un quartier a Toronto, Canada. Les resultats montrent que differentes formes de discrimination vecus et percus par les jeunes demandeurs d'emploi, ainsi que des attentes des employeurs au sein des marches du travail actuels, agissent comme les principaux obstacles a la participation au marche du travail avec succes. Les resultats suggerent que les defis a joindre le marche du travail peuvent avoir un impact psychosocial a long terme sur les jeunes. Par consequent, les perceptions socioculturelles negatives de jeunes adultes et ceux qui les detiennent, en liaison avec la precarite d'un marche du travail qui soutient et maintient l'inegalite sociale, doivent etre adressees par la politique plus concrete, la reglementation et les initiatives de programme en function., Introduction Globalization and technological advances, along with an increasingly unregulated capitalist market, have had a resounding impact on domestic labor market conditions. Specific factors that negatively impact young adult labour [...]

Social workers practicing in government-mandated child welfare programs experience several unique challenges and workplace stressors that can contribute to social worker workplace dissatisfaction and higher rates of turnover. Most research on workplace well-being primarily focuses on workplace characteristics rather than on other variables, such as personal and professional life factors. From a sample of child welfare workers (n = 145), and following a model of subjective well-being, our findings show that three factors--work, profession, and personal life--significantly predict overall social worker satisfaction and intention to leave, confirming previous research on the multiple aspects of a social worker's life that contributes to his or her subjective well-being., Child welfare remains a primary focus of social welfare efforts throughout North America, Europe, and many other parts of the world. In Canada (the context of this study) and the [...]

We study a period of severe disequilibrium to investigate whether board characteristics are related to corporate investment, debt usage, and firm value. During the 1930-1938 Depression era, when the corporate sector was shocked by an unprecedented downturn, we document a relation between board characteristics and firm performance that varies in economically sensible ways: Complex firms (that would benefit more from board advice) exhibit a positive relation between board size and firm value, and simple firms exhibit a negative relation between board size and firm value. Moreover, simple firms with large boards do not downsize adequately in response to the severe economic contraction: they invest more (or shrink less) and use more debt during the 1930s. We document similar effects for the number of outside directors on the board. Finally, we also find that companies with properly aligned governance structures are more likely to replace the company president following poor performance. Key words: corporate governance; capital structure; investment policy; Great Depression; stock market value History: Received January 5, 2010; accepted June 1, 2011, by Wei Xiong, finance. Published online in Articles in Advance October 7, 2011., 1. Introduction A growing literature examines the interaction between corporate governance and firm performance. One hotly contested area investigates whether firm value is related to the characteristics of the board [...]

I. INTRODUCTION Rapid innovation is occurring in the design of propulsion systems for the cars, light passenger trucks, and heavier commercial trucks that dominate the modern transportation systems in both [...]

Abstract People experiencing homelessness carry a heavy burden of illness and disease compared to those in the general population. We analysed data from the Calgary 2008 Vulnerability Index (VI) survey [...]

Abstract This article identifies factors that contribute to the success of youth shelter and support programs. In 2006 seventeen exemplary youth shelters were visited in Canada (n=9), United Kingdom (n=2), [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6261.2010.01611.x Byline: JULES H. van BINSBERGEN, JOHN R. GRAHAM, JIE YANG (*) Abstract: ABSTRACT We use exogenous variation in tax benefit functions to estimate firm-specific cost of debt functions that are conditional on company characteristics such as collateral, size, and book-to-market. By integrating the area between the benefit and cost functions, we estimate that the equilibrium net benefit of debt is 3.5% of asset value, resulting from an estimated gross benefit (cost) of debt equal to 10.4% (6.9%) of asset value. We find that the cost of being overlevered is asymmetrically higher than the cost of being underlevered and that expected default costs constitute only half of the total ex ante costs of debt. Article note: *van Binsbergen is from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and NBER; Graham is from the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, and NBER; and Yang is from the McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University. We thank Rick Green (the Acting Editor), an anonymous referee, Heitor Almeida, Ravi Bansal, Jonathan Berk, Michael Brandt, Alon Brav, Hui Chen, Dave Denis, Simon Gervais, Cam Harvey, Han Hong, Ralph Koijen, Mike Lemmon, Rich Mathews, Bertrand Melenberg, Francisco Perez-Gonzalez, Mitchell Petersen, Anamaria Pieschacon, Adriano Rampini, Michael Roberts, David Robinson, Ilya Strebulaev, George Tauchen, Larry Weiss, Toni Whited, participants at the WFA 2007 meeting, the NBER Summer Institute 2007, the EFA 2007 meeting, UNC Tax Symposium 2008, and the McKinsey Corporate Finance Conference, and seminar participants at Duke University, Georgetown University, Indiana University, New York University, Purdue University, Rice University, University of Chicago, University of Pittsburgh, and The Wharton School for helpful comments.

I. INTRODUCTION In a frictionless world, capital would flow freely across countries. Within multinational firms, capital would be allocated across divisions, regardless of the location of those divisions, to maximize [...], Using data from a survey of tax executives, we examine the corporate response to the one-time dividends received deduction in the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. We describe the firms 'reported sources and uses of the cash repatriated and we also examine non-tax costs companies incurred to avoid the repatriation tax prior to the Act. Finally, we examine whether firms would repatriate cash again if a similar Act were to occur in the future. Overall, the evidence is consistent with a substantial lockout effect resulting from the current U.S. policy of taxing the worldwide profits of U.S. multinationals. Keywords : repatriation, tax, American Jobs Creation Act JEL Codes: H20, 1-125, H26, K34

Social service agencies and practitioners are continually challenged to provide services that are effective for, and reflective of, cultural and religious diversity. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 social work practitioners in four Canadian cities to gain insight into methods of practice that are culturally sensitive for work with Muslim clients. No hard-and-fast rules are identified, but the findings point to some cultural values and issues to consider (in particular the roles of faith and spirituality, community, family, gender, and perceptions of service seeking) and ways that agencies can be responsive to the cultural needs of Muslim clients (in particular by understanding pathways to care, explaining cultural difference, and providing culturally sensitive services). Implications for agencies providing services and future research directions are discussed. KEY WORDS: cultural sensitivity; localization; Muslim clients; social services; social work, Social work is just beginning to adapt its knowledge base and practices to operate in a culturally diverse world. We refer to culture here as one aspect for consideration when [...]

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can track progenitor cells following direct intramyocardial injection. However, in the vast majority of post-myocardial infarction (MI) clinical trials, cells are delivered by the intracoronary (IC) route, which results in far greater dispersion within the myocardium. Therefore, we assessed whether the more diffuse distribution of cells following IC delivery could be imaged longitudinally with MRI. In 11 pigs (7 active, 4 controls), MI was induced by 90-min balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Seven (0) days [median (interquartile range)] following Ml, bone marrow progenitor cells (BMCs) were colabeled with an iron-fluorophore and a cell viability marker and delivered to the left anterior descending coronary artery distal to an inflated over-the-wire percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty balloon. [T2.sup.*]-weighted images were used to assess the location of the magnetically labeled cells over a 6-wk period post-MI. Immediately following cell delivery, hypointensity characteristic of the magnetic label was observed in the infarct border rather than within the infarct itself. At 6 wk, the cell signal hypointensity persisted, albeit with significantly decreased intensity. BMC delivery resulted in significant improvement in infarct volume and ejection fraction (EF): infarct volume in cell-treated animals decreased from 7.1 [+ or -] 1.5 to 4.9 [+ or -] 1.0 ml (P < 0.01); infarct volume in controls was virtually unchanged at 4.64 [+ or -] 2.1 to 4.39 [+ or -] 2.1 ml (P = 0.7). EF in cell-treated animals went from 30.4 [+ or -] 5.2% preinjection to 34.5 [+ or -] 2.5% 6 wk postinjection (P = 0.013); EF in control animals went from 34.3 [+ or -] 4.7 to 31.9 [+ or -] 6.8% (P = 0.5). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed intracellular colocalization of the iron fluorophore and cell viability dye with the labeled cells continuing to express the same surface markers as at baseline. MRI can track the persistence and distribution of magnetically labeled BMCs over a 6-wk period following IC delivery. Signal hypointensity declines with time, particularly in the first week following delivery. These cells maintain their original phenotype during this time course. Delivery of these cells appears safe and results in improvement in infarct size and left ventricular ejection fraction. magnetic resonance imaging; myocardial infarction doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.01260.2008.

Social service agencies face challenges in balancing the provision of culturally sensitive service with government mandates and policies. This article provides insight into some of the issues around culturally sensitive service delivery that agencies face when working specifically with clients who are Muslim. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 50 Canadian Muslim and non-Muslim social work practitioners in three Canadian cities to identify these specific issues. Respondents identified barriers to service provision for some Muslim clients and identified ways in which agencies can be responsive in addressing these barriers. Implications for social work practice are discussed. KEYWORDS social services, barriers, Canadian Muslims, social work DOI:10.1080/03643100903172950

The objective of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of injectable semipermanent and permanent dermal fillers, compared to other facial augmentation techniques, for the management of facial lipoatrophy as a result of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for HIV infection through a systematic review of the literature. A systematic search strategy was used to retrieve relevant studies. Inclusion of articles was by the application of a predetermined protocol, independent assessment by two reviewers, and a final consensus decision. One randomized controlled trial (RCT), one pseudo-RCT, two nonrandomized comparative studies, and seven case series were included for review. Injections with permanent and semipermanent dermal fillers improved subjective ratings of appearance and resulted in high patient satisfaction. Although short-term safety appeared favorable, of the seven studies that reported lumps, three studies reported these events in more than 40% of patients. Long-term safety data were lacking. Evidence suggests that permanent and semipermanent dermal fillers achieve their objective, which is to decrease the visible effects of HIV-associated facial lipoatrophy, with high patient satisfaction. Safety appears favorable in the short term, but further studies are required to determine long-term outcomes.

INTRODUCTION In January 2009, then-President-elect Barack Obama and congressional Democrats proposed a $300 billion tax cut package. One proposal was to increase the length of the net operating loss (NOL) [...], We investigate how the length of the net operating loss carryback period affects corporate liquidity and marginal tax rates. We estimate that extending the carryback period from two to five years, as recently proposed in President Obama's budget blueprint, would provide $19 ($34) billion of additional liquidity to the corporate sector for 2008 (2009). Our calculations imply that the benefits of the extended carryback period would be concentrated in the homebuilding, automobile, and financial industries. Extending the carryback period would increase the marginal tax rate of loss firms by more than 200 basis points on average, which all else equal would lead corporations to use an additional $8 ($10) billion of debt and reduce tax payments by another $1.2 ($1.5) billion in 2008 (2009). Overall, the tax break proposed by the Obama administration would have a significant liquidity effect on corporations suffering large losses in recent years. If the tax proposal were extended to include TARP firms, the liquidity effect would triple in size.

People are more willing to bet on their own judgments when they feel skillful or knowledgeable. We investigate whether this "competence effect" influences trading frequency and home bias. We find that investors who feel competent trade more often and have more internationally diversified portfolios. We also find that male investors, and investors with larger portfolios or more education, are more likely to perceive themselves as competent than are female investors, and investors with smaller portfolios or less education. Our paper also contributes to understanding the theoretical link between overconfidence and trading frequency. Existing theories on trading frequency have focused on one aspect of overconfidence, i.e., miscalibration. Our paper offers a potential mechanism for the "better-than-average" aspect of overconfidence to influence trading frequency. In the context of our paper, overconfident investors tend to perceive themselves to be more competent, and thus are more willing to act on their beliefs, leading to higher trading frequency. Key words: behavioral finance; investment; competence; ambiguity; stock trading frequency; home bias History: Received June 25, 2007; accepted January 25, 2009, by Neal Stoughton (guest department editor), finance. Published online in Articles in Advance April 23, 2009., 1. Introduction We argue that "investor competence" ties together two important puzzles in international and financial economics--the home bias problem (too little is invested outside of the home market) and [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.2009.00456.x Byline: Allison E. Olchowski (*), John W. Graham (*), Elizabeth A. Beverly (*), Chris W. Dupkanick Abstract: Research has supported a negative correlation between cigarette smoking and exercise; however, the temporal nature of this association is not obvious. We modeled the relationships among smoking, exercise, and self-perceived health over time, within a college population. We collected 5 waves of data from 1,023 undergraduate students over a 14-month period. The results verified that smoking and exercise each made independent contributions in the prediction of health. Smoking was associated with reduced exercise over time, while no evidence was found for the reverse relationship. Our final mediation model demonstrates that smoking is related to poorer self-perceived health, and that this effect is partially mediated by the fact that smokers are less likely to engage in exercise. Author Affiliation: (*)Department of Biobehavioral HealthThe Pennsylvania State University Article note: (1) John Graham, Department of Biobehavioral Health, E-315 Health & Human Development Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. E-mail: jgraham@psu.edu

ABSTRACT. Social work is only just beginning to adapt knowledge and practice to the realities of a geographically diverse world. Within the social services, one of the most exciting diversity-related [...]

This Article examines the recent history and the future of federal lifesaving regulation. The Article argues that, considering both philosophical and practical perspectives, lifesaving regulation informed by benefit-cost analysis (BCA) [...]

INTRODUCTION In December 2002, the Bush administration floated a radical proposal to reduce the taxation on dividends to zero. The official motive behind the proposal was to give the economy [...], We analyze the impact of the May 2003 dividend tax cut on corporate dividend policy. First, we find that while there was a temporary increase in dividend initiations, this increase was not long-lasting. While dividend payments were increased right after the tax change, there was a larger and more pronounced increase in repurchases during the same time period. Second, we survey 328 financial executives to determine the effects of the May 2003 dividend tax cut. We find that the tax cut led to initiations and dividend increases at some firms. However, executives say that among the factors that affect dividend policy, the tax rate reduction is less important than the stability of future cash flows, cash holdings, and the historic level of dividends. Tax effects have roughly the same importance as attracting institutional investors and the availability of profitable investments. We also find that press releases only occasionally mention the dividend tax cut as the reason for an initiation. Overall we conclude that the dividend tax reduction had only a second-order impact of payout policy.

The article examines social work practices prevalent in Pakistan from interviews with several social work practitioners. Data revealed five themes such as the definition of social work as culturally grounded to Pakistani society, the primacy of family and community in service provision, the problems created by social and economic exclusion and many others.

A 2005 survey of 2,328 youth (ages 12 to 18) in the West Bank, Palestine, revealed an association between exposure to politically violent events, domestic violence, and school violence and with psychological symptomatology. Results also found associations between family violence, family economic status, and psychological symptomatology. Respondents reported low levels of family functioning. Data revealed some geographic variability in experiences of politically violent events, domestic violence, school violence, and psychological symptomatology. Implications for practice are discussed. Keywords: Palestinian, political violence, domestic violence, psychological symptomatology

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfineco.2005.09.002 Byline: John R. Graham (a), Alan L. Tucker (b) Keywords: Taxes; Tax shelters; Debt; Capital structure; Tax evasion Abstract: We gather a unique sample of 44 tax shelter cases to investigate the magnitude of tax shelter activity and whether participating in a shelter is related to corporate debt policy. The average annual deduction produced by the shelters in our sample is very large, equaling approximately nine percent of asset value. These deductions are more than three times as large as interest deductions for comparable companies. The firms in our sample use less debt when they engage in tax sheltering. Compared to companies with similar pre-shelter debt ratios, the debt ratios of firms engaged in tax shelters fall by about 8%. The tax shelter firms in our sample appear underlevered if shelters are ignored but do not appear underlevered once shelters are considered. Author Affiliation: (a) Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA (b) Lubin School of Business, Pace University, NY 10038, USA Article History: Received 1 February 2005; Revised 18 August 2005; Accepted 1 September 2005 Article Note: (footnote) [star] We thank an anonymous referee, Joseph Bankman, Alon Brav, Stefano Della Vigna, Mihir Desai, Lily Fang, Wayne Ferson, Vidhan Goyal, Tom Keller, Mark Leary, Ed Maydew, Bob McDonald, Guy McDonough, Avri Ravid, Michael Roberts, Chip Ryan, Bill Schwert, and participants in seminars at Boston College, the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank, DePaul University, the 2005 Financial Economics and Accounting Conference, Harvard Business School, Louisiana State University, Michigan State University, the 2005 NBER Corporate Finance Summer Institute, the Securities and Financial Markets conference, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina tax conference, University of Virginia, Washington University, York University, and the 2005 WFA annual conference for helpful comments. Brian An, Si Li, Bin Wei, and Julia Wu provided excellent research assistance. All errors are our own.