GCD sums from Poisson integrals and systems of dilated functions

Upper bounds for GCD sums of the form (Formula Presented) are established, where (nk)1≤k≤N is any sequence of distinct positive integers and 0 1/2, a result that in turn settles two longstanding problems on the a.e. behavior of systems of dilated functions: the a.e. growth of sums of the form (Formula Presented)=1 f(nkx) and the a.e. convergence of (Formula Presented)=1 ckf(nkx) when f is 1-periodic and of bounded variation or in Lip1/2. © European Mathematical Society 2015

Understanding the Local Livelihood System in Resource Management: The Pelagic Longline Fishery in Gouyave, Grenada

There is a need to include social objectives in fisheries management, and this paper focuses on one set of social considerations, those regarding livelihood. We pay particular attention to sustainable livelihood strategies, the importance of commercial pelagic longline fishing for the entire community livelihood system, and implications for management. Field data were obtained between December 2002 and March 2004 in Gouyave, Grenada, using participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and a quantitative survey. The economic base (fishing and agriculture) of the community is both unpredictable and seasonal, therefore individuals and households engage in diverse strategies to secure their livelihood. Three livelihood strategies were deemed important: 1) livelihood diversification, developing additional sources of income from agriculture, wage labor, and trade work, 2) fishing diversification, learning to switch to alternative gear and species, and 3) the availability of an informal social security net involving cash and in-kind assistance. These strategies help to spread the flow of income and food during lean times and across seasons. A major management implication is that fishery managers need to pay attention to the multi-species nature of fisheries and to the importance of livelihood diversification, including reliance on other economic sectors

A Metric Discrepancy Result With Given Speed

It is known that the discrepancy DN{ kx} of the sequence { kx} satisfies NDN{ kx} = O((log N) (log log N) 1 + ε) a.e. for all ε> 0 , but not for ε= 0. For nk= θk, θ> 1 we have NDN{ nkx} ≦ (Σ θ+ ε) (2 Nlog log N) 1 / 2 a.e. for some 0 0 , but not for ε 0 , there exists a sequence { nk} of positive integers such that NDN{ nkx} ≦ (Σ + ε) Ψ (N) eventually holds a.e. for ε> 0 , but not for ε< 0. We also consider a similar problem on the growth of trigonometric sums. © 2016, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary

MyoD Synergizes with the E-protein HEB Beta to Induce Myogenic Differentiation

The MyoD family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors function as heterodimers with members of the E-protein family to induce myogenic gene activation. The E-protein HEB is alternatively spliced to generate alpha and beta isoforms. While the function of these molecules has been studied in other cell types, questions persist regarding the molecular functions of HEB proteins in skeletal muscle. Our data demonstrate that HEB alpha expression remains unchanged in both myoblasts and myotubes, whereas HEB beta is upregulated during the early phases of terminal differentiation. Upon induction of differentiation, a MyoD-HEB beta complex bound the E1 E-box of the myogenin promoter leading to transcriptional activation. Importantly, forced expression of HEB beta with MyoD synergistically lead to precocious myogenin expression in proliferating myoblasts. However, after differentiation, HEB alpha and HEB beta synergized with myogenin, but not MyoD, to activate the myogenin promoter. Specific knockdown of HEB beta by small interfering RNA in myoblasts blocked differentiation and inhibited induction of myogenin transcription. Therefore, HEB alpha and HEB beta play novel and central roles in orchestrating the regulation of myogenic factor activity through myogenic differentiation

Tail probabilities of St. Petersburg sums, trimmed sums, and their limit

We provide exact asymptotics for the tail probabilities $\mathbb{P} \{S_{n,r} > x\}$ as $x \to \infty$, for fix $n$, where $S_{n,r}$ is the $r$-trimmed partial sum of i.i.d. St. Petersburg random variables. In particular, we prove that although the St. Petersburg distribution is only O-subexponential, the subexponential property almost holds. We also determine the exact tail behavior of the $r$-trimmed limits.Comment: 24 pages, 2 figure

A new framework to enable equitable outcomes: resilience and nexus approaches combined

Managing integrated social-ecological systems to reduce risks to human and environmental well-being remains challenging in light of the rate and extent of undesirable changes that are occurring. Developing frameworks that are sufficiently integrative to guide research to deliver the necessary insights into all key system aspects is an important outstanding task. Among existing approaches, resilience and nexus framings both allow focus on unpacking relationships across scales and levels in a system and emphasize the involvement of different groups in decision making to different extents. They also suffer weaknesses and neither approach puts social justice considerations explicitly at its core. This has important implications for understanding who wins and loses out from different decisions and how social and ecological risks and trade-offs are shared and distributed, temporally and spatially. This paper conceptually integrates resilience and nexus approaches, developing a combined framework and indicating how it could effectively be operationalized in cases from mountain and mangrove social-ecological systems. In doing so, it advances understanding of complex social-ecological systems framings for risk-based decision making beyond that which could be achieved through use of either resilience or nexus approaches alone. Important next steps in testing the framework involve empirical and field operationalization, requiring interdisciplinary, mixed method approache

Perception of nonnative tonal contrasts by Mandarin-English and English-Mandarin sequential bilinguals

This study examined the role of acquisition order and crosslinguistic similarity in influencing transfer at the initial stage of perceptually acquiring a tonal third language (L3). Perception of tones in Yoruba and Thai was tested in adult sequential bilinguals representing three different first (L1) and second language (L2) backgrounds: L1 Mandarin-L2 English (MEBs), L1 English-L2 Mandarin (EMBs), and L1 English-L2 intonational/non-tonal (EIBs). MEBs outperformed EMBs and EIBs in discriminating L3 tonal contrasts in both languages, while EMBs showed a small advantage over EIBs on Yoruba. All groups showed better overall discrimination in Thai than Yoruba, but group differences were more robust in Yoruba. MEBs’ and EMBs’ poor discrimination of certain L3 contrasts was further reflected in the L3 tones being perceived as similar to the same Mandarin tone; however, EIBs, with no knowledge of Mandarin, showed many of the same similarity judgments. These findings thus suggest that L1 tonal experience has a particularly facilitative effect in L3 tone perception, but there is also a facilitative effect of L2 tonal experience. Further, crosslinguistic perceptual similarity between L1/L2 and L3 tones, as well as acoustic similarity between different L3 tones, play a significant role at this early stage of L3 tone acquisition.Published versio