4-Manifolds With Inequivalent Symplectic Forms and 3-Manifolds With Inequivalent Fibrations

We exhibit a closed, simply connected 4-manifold $X$ carrying two symplectic structures whose first Chern classes in $H^2 (X, \mathbb{Z})$ lie in disjoint orbits of the diffeomorphism group of $X$. Consequently, the moduli space of symplectic forms on $X$ is disconnected. The example $X$ is in turn based on a 3-manifold $M$. The symplectic structures on $X$ come from a pair of fibrations $\pi_0, \pi_1 : M \rightarrow S^1$ whose Euler classes lie in disjoint orbits for the action of $\mathrm{Diff}(M)$ on $H_1(M, \mathbb{R})$.Mathematic

Elder Siblings and the Taming of Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds

A 3-manifold is tame if it is homeomorphic to the interior of a compact manifold with boundary. Marden’s conjecture asserts that any hyperbolic 3-manifold $\mathbb{M} = \mathbb{H}^3/\Gamma$ with $\pi_1(M)$ finitely-generated is tame. This paper presents a criterion for tameness. We show that wildness of $\mathbb{M}$ is detected by large-scale knotting of orbits of $\Gamma$. The elder sibling property prevents knotting and implies tameness by a Morse theory argument. We also show the elder sibling property holds for all convex cocompact groups and a strict form of it characterizes such groups.Mathematic

Evolution of Preprofessional Pharmacy Curricula

Objectives. To examine changes in preprofessional pharmacy curricular requirements and trends, and determine rationales for and implications of modifications. Methods. Prerequisite curricular requirements compiled between 2006 and 2011 from all doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) programs approved by the Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education were reviewed to ascertain trends over the past 5 years. An online survey was conducted of 20 programs that required either 3 years of prerequisite courses or a bachelor’s degree, and a random sample of 20 programs that required 2 years of prerequisites. Standardized telephone interviews were then conducted with representatives of 9 programs. Results. In 2006, 4 programs required 3 years of prerequisite courses and none required a bachelor’s degree; by 2011, these increased to 18 programs and 7 programs, respectively. Of 40 programs surveyed, responses were received from 28 (70%), 9 (32%) of which reported having increased the number of prerequisite courses since 2006. Reasons given for changes included desire to raise the level of academic achievement of students entering the PharmD program, desire to increase incoming student maturity, and desire to add clinical sciences and experiential coursework to the pharmacy curriculum. Some colleges and schools experienced a temporary decrease in applicants. Conclusions. The preprofessional curriculum continues to evolve, with many programs increasing the number of course prerequisites. The implications of increasing prerequisites were variable and included a perceived increase in maturity and quality of applicants and, for some schools, a temporary decrease in the number of applicants

Crisis-Driven Tax Law: The Case of Section 382

At the peak of the 2008 financial crisis, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2008–83 (the Notice), administrative guidance that limited Internal Revenue Code (the Code) section 382, an important tax rule designed to discourage tax-motivated acquisitions. Although styled as a mere interpretation of existing law, the Notice has been widely viewed as an improper exercise of the IRS’s authority that undermined its legitimacy. But did the Notice work? There were many extraordinary interventions during the financial crisis that raised questions about eroding the rule of law and the long-term destabilizing effects of bail­outs. In a financial crisis, regulators must weigh these real, but distant and uncertain, costs against the immediate benefits of the intervention. Toward that end, we report the first evidence of the effects of limiting Code section 382 during the 2008 financial crisis. Although we find lit­tle evidence that the Notice affected bank merger activity, those merg­ers that occurred while the Notice was in effect produced lower post-merger income growth. The results suggest that Code section 382 may have some benefits in terms of discouraging tax-motivated acqui­sitions. We use the Notice to illustrate the concerns that should guide lawmakers’ decisions about if and how to make law during a crisis

Crisis-Driven Tax Law: The Case of Section 382

At the peak of the 2008 financial crisis, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2008–83 (the Notice), administrative guidance that limited Internal Revenue Code (the Code) section 382, an important tax rule designed to discourage tax-motivated acquisitions. Although styled as a mere interpretation of existing law, the Notice has been widely viewed as an improper exercise of the IRS’s authority that undermined its legitimacy. But did the Notice work? There were many extraordinary interventions during the financial crisis that raised questions about eroding the rule of law and the long-term destabilizing effects of bailouts. In a financial crisis, regulators must weigh these real, but distant and uncertain, costs against the immediate benefits of the intervention. Toward that end, we report the first evidence of the effects of limiting Code section 382 during the 2008 financial crisis. Although we find little evidence that the Notice affected bank merger activity, those mergers that occurred while the Notice was in effect produced lower post-merger income growth. The results suggest that Code section 382 may have some benefits in terms of discouraging tax-motivated acquisitions. We use the Notice to illustrate the concerns that should guide lawmakers’ decisions about if and how to make law during a crisis

What makes for a 'good' or 'bad' paediatric diabetes service from the viewpoint of children, young people, carers and clinicians? A synthesis of qualitative findings

Background: There is mounting evidence that experience of care is a crucial part of the pathway for successful management of long-term conditions. Design and objectives: To carry out (1) a systematic mapping of qualitative evidence to inform selection of studies for the second stage of the review; and (2) a narrative synthesis addressing the question, What makes for a ‘good’ or a ‘bad’ paediatric diabetes service from the viewpoint of children, young people, carers and clinicians? Results: The initial mapping identified 38 papers. From these, the findings of 20 diabetes-focused papers on the views on care of ≥650 children, parents and clinicians were synthesised. Only five studies included children under 11 years. Children and young people across all age groups valued positive, non-judgemental and relationship-based care that engaged with their social, as well as physical, health. Parents valued provision responsive to the circumstances of family life and coordinated across services. Clinicians wanting to engage with families beyond a child's immediate physical health described finding this hard to achieve in practice. Limitations: Socioeconomic status and ethnicity were poorly reported in the included studies. Conclusions: In dealing with diabetes, and engaging with social health in a way valued by children, parents and clinicians, not only structural change, such as more time for consultation, but new skills for reworking relations in the consultation may be required

Healthcare Barriers of Residents at a Subsidized Housing Community

Introduction: Despite expanded healthcare programs, the low income and elderly lack coverage of vision, hearing, and dental services. Community services are often asked to fill these gaps. To evaluate the situation in Burlington, VT, we surveyed staff and residents in Burlington Housing Authority (BHA) subsidized housing to (1) identify gaps in healthcare coverage and (2) assess barriers to accessing those services in this population.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1207/thumbnail.jp

Moose models with vanishing SS parameter

In the linear moose framework, which naturally emerges in deconstruction models, we show that there is a unique solution for the vanishing of the $S$ parameter at the lowest order in the weak interactions. We consider an effective gauge theory based on $K$ SU(2) gauge groups, $K+1$ chiral fields and electroweak groups $SU(2)_L$ and $U(1)_Y$ at the ends of the chain of the moose. $S$ vanishes when a link in the moose chain is cut. As a consequence one has to introduce a dynamical non local field connecting the two ends of the moose. Then the model acquires an additional custodial symmetry which protects this result. We examine also the possibility of a strong suppression of $S$ through an exponential behavior of the link couplings as suggested by Randall Sundrum metric.Comment: LaTex file, 27 pages, 8 figure