Variability of Universal Life Cash Flows under Higher Risk Investment Strategies

This integrated project studied the offsetting elements of higher nominal yields, greater credit loss expectations, and higher capital requirements on the profitability of the life insurer that pursues a higher yield investment strategy. Profitability measures were developed for a Universal Life product. The report provides an attribution of profit drivers for the insurer. The effects of credit rating migration on credit loss rates and bond capital charges were examined, and investment strategies were tested under credit stress scenarios

Lessons from LIMK1 enzymology and their impact on inhibitor design

LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) is a key regulator of actin dynamics. It is thereby a potential therapeutic target for the prevention of fragile X syndrome and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Herein, we use X-ray crystallography and activity assays to describe how LIMK1 accomplishes substrate specificity, to suggest a unique ‘rock-and-poke’ mechanism of catalysis and to explore the regulation of the kinase by activation loop phosphorylation. Based on these findings, a differential scanning fluorimetry assay and a RapidFire mass spectrometry activity assay were established, leading to the discovery and confirmation of a set of small-molecule LIMK1 inhibitors. Interestingly, several of the inhibitors were inactive towards the closely related isoform LIMK2. Finally, crystal structures of the LIMK1 kinase domain in complex with inhibitors (PF-477736 and staurosporine, respectively) are presented, providing insights into LIMK1 plasticity upon inhibitor binding

Development of sports turf systems suitable for Irish conditions.

End of Project ReportThe principal objective of the study was to establish scientific data in relation to the nutritional requirements and best management practice for golf greens constructed to the United States Golf Association (USGA) 1973 specification under Irish conditions. The game of golf is one of the biggest sports industries in the world. Income from golf tourism in Ireland has increased from £73 million in 1994 to £180 million in 1998. Good quality turfgrass is required to underpin the promotion of golf tourism. Traditionally, golf greens on Irish golf courses were constructed from local materials and vary from green to green within a given golf course and also between different golf courses. In recent years there is a perception that the quality of putting surfaces is superior on greens constructed to the USGA specification. In addition, greens constructed to this specification are similar one to the other and location to location. The principal features of the USGA 1973 specification could be summarised as follows: (1) A network of drainage pipes installed in the underground soil covered with a carpet of peat gravel; (2) A blinding layer of specifically graded sand placed on the peat gravel; (3) A root zone mixture of graded sand (80%) and graded peat moss (20%) by volume. The particle size of the component layers must comply to the exact specification in terms of size, diameter and shape. As sands contain no nutrients, the management of greens constructed mainly of sand is more exacting than the traditional soil constructed greens. The results from this project confirmed this assumption. Three major objectives were researched in this project: (a) the effect of micro nutrients, when applied or omitted, on the quality and growth of grass on a green surface; (b) the encroachment of Poa annua (annual meadow grass) onto the green; and (c) the comparison of two nitrogen top dressing programmes on sand greens. The detailed results are given in the text and in the conclusions of this report.European Union Structural Funds (EAGGF

Hydrogen Two-Photon Continuum Emission from the Horseshoe Filament in NGC 1275

Far ultraviolet emission has been detected from a knot of Halpha emission in the Horseshoe filament, far out in the NGC 1275 nebula. The flux detected relative to the brightness of the Halpha line in the same spatial region is very close to that expected from Hydrogen two-photon continuum emission in the particle heating model of Ferland et al. (2009) if reddening internal to the filaments is taken into account. We find no need to invoke other sources of far ultraviolet emission such as hot stars or emission lines from CIV in intermediate temperature gas to explain these data.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Mechanical strength of silica fiber splices after exposure to extreme temperatures

By using a combination of type-I and regenerated gratings, the mechanical strength of optical fiber splices after exposure to temperatures over 1300 °C was characterized. Splice strength was found to decrease with temperature with a secondorder polynomial dependence after exposure to environments hotter than 500 °C. Splices exposed to temperatures above 1300 °C were 80% more fragile than non-exposed splices. The lack of optical attenuation and the narrowing distribution of breaking strengths for higher temperatures suggest surface damage mechanisms, such as hydrolysis, play a key role in weakening post-heating and that damage mechanisms dominate over strengthening induced by crack melting. © 2012 SPIE

Carbon superatom thin films

Assembling clusters on surfaces has emerged as a novel way to grow thin films with targeted properties. In particular, it has been proposed from experimental findings that fullerenes deposited on surfaces could give rise to thin films retaining the bonding properties of the incident clusters. However the microscopic structure of such films is still unclear. By performing quantum molecular dynamics simulations, we show that C_28 fullerenes can be deposited on a surface to form a thin film of nearly defect free molecules, which act as carbon superatoms. Our findings help clarify the structure of disordered small fullerene films and also support the recently proposed hyperdiamond model for solid C_28.Comment: 13 pages, RevTeX, 2 figures available as black and white PostScript files; color PostScript and/or gif files available upon reques

External validation of a simple clinical tool used to predict falls in people with Parkinson disease

Published in final edited form as: Parkinsonism Relat Disord. 2015 August ; 21(8): 960–963. doi:10.1016/j.parkreldis.2015.05.008.BACKGROUND: Assessment of fall risk in an individual with Parkinson disease (PD) is a critical yet often time consuming component of patient care. Recently a simple clinical prediction tool based only on fall history in the previous year, freezing of gait in the past month, and gait velocity <1.1 m/s was developed and accurately predicted future falls in a sample of individuals with PD. METHODS: We sought to externally validate the utility of the tool by administering it to a different cohort of 171 individuals with PD. Falls were monitored prospectively for 6 months following predictor assessment. RESULTS: The tool accurately discriminated future fallers from non-fallers (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.83; 95% CI 0.76–0.89), comparable to the developmental study. CONCLUSION: The results validated the utility of the tool for allowing clinicians to quickly and accurately identify an individual's risk of an impending fall.Davis Phinney Foundation, Parkinson Disease Foundation, NIH, APDA. (Davis Phinney Foundation; Parkinson Disease Foundation; NIH; APDA