U. S. labor supply and demand in the long run

In this paper we model U.S. labor supply and demand in considerable detail in order to capture the enormous heterogeneity of the labor force and its evolution over the next 25 years. We represent labor supplies for a large number of demographic groups as responses to prices of leisure and consumption goods and services. The price of leisure is an after-tax wage rate, while the final prices of goods and services reflect the supply prices of the industries that produce them. By including demographic characteristics among the determinants of household preferences, we incorporate the expected demographic transition into our long-run projections of the U.S. labor market.Labor supply ; Labor market

Can neap-spring tidal cycles modulate biogeochemical fluxes in the abyssal near-seafloor water column?

Before particulate matter that settles as ‘primary flux’ from the interior ocean is deposited into deep-sea sediments it has to traverse the benthic boundary layer (BBL) that is likely to cover almost all parts of the seafloor in the deep seas. Fluid dynamics in the BBL differ vastly from fluid dynamics in the overlying water column and, consequently, have the potential to lead to quantitative and compositional changes between primary and depositional fluxes. Despite this potential and the likely global relevance very little is known about mechanistic and quantitative aspects of the controlling processes. Here, results are presented for a sediment-trap time-series study that was conducted on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain in the abyssal Northeast Atlantic, with traps deployed at 2, 40 and 569 m above bottom (mab). The two bottommost traps were situated within the BBL-affected part of the water column. The time series captured 3 neap and 4 spring tides and the arrival of fresh settling material originating from a surface-ocean bloom. In the trap-collected material, total particulate matter (TPM), particulate inorganic carbon (PIC), biogenic silica (BSi), particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen (PN), total hydrolysable amino acids (AA), hexosamines (HA) and lithogenic material (LM) were determined. The biogeochemical results are presented within the context of time series of measured currents (at 15 mab) and turbidity (at 1 mab). The main outcome is evidence for an effect of neap/spring tidal oscillations on particulate-matter dynamics in BBL-affected waters in the deep sea. Based on the frequency-decomposed current measurements and numerical modelling of BBL fluid dynamics, it is concluded that the neap/spring tidal oscillations of particulate-matter dynamics are less likely due to temporally varying total free-stream current speeds and more likely due to temporally and vertically varying turbulence intensities that result from the temporally varying interplay of different rotational flow components (residual, tidal, near-inertial) within the BBL. Using information from previously published empirical and theoretical relations between fluid and biogeochemical dynamics at the scale of individual particle aggregates, a conceptual and semi-quantitative picture of a mechanism was derived that explains how the neap/spring fluid-dynamic oscillations may translate through particle dynamics into neap/spring oscillations of biogeochemical aggregate decomposition (microbially driven organic-matter breakdown, biomineral dissolution). It is predicted that, during transitions from neap into spring tides, increased aggregation in near-seafloor waters and/or reduced deposition of aggregates at the seafloor coincides with reduced biogeochemical particulate-matter decomposition in near-seafloor waters. By contrast, during transitions from spring into neap tides, enhanced biogeochemical particulate-matter decomposition in near-seafloor waters is predicted to coincide with increased deposition of particulate matter at the seafloor. This study suggests that, in addition to current speed, the specifics and subtleties of the interplay of different rotational flow components can be an important control on how the primary flux from the interior ocean is translated into the depositional flux, with potential implications for sedimentary carbon deposition, benthic food supply and possibly even the sedimentary records of environmental change

Congruences modulo prime powers of Hecke eigenvalues in level 11

We continue the study of strong, weak, and $dc$-weak eigenforms introduced by Chen, Kiming, and Wiese. We completely determine all systems of Hecke eigenvalues of level $1$ modulo $128$, showing there are finitely many. This extends results of Hatada and can be considered as evidence for the more general conjecture formulated by the author together with Kiming and Wiese on finiteness of systems of Hecke eigenvalues modulo prime powers at any fixed level. We also discuss the finiteness of systems of Hecke eigenvalues of level $1$ modulo $9$, reducing the question to the finiteness of a single eigenvalue. Furthermore, we answer the question of comparing weak and $dc$-weak eigenforms and provide the first known examples of non-weak $dc$-weak eigenforms.Comment: 28 pages; Minor revisio

The Relationship between Physical Activity Variety and Objectively Measured Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity Levels in Weight Loss Maintainers and Normal-Weight Individuals

Given the importance of physical activity (PA) for weight control, identifying strategies to achieve higher PA levels is imperative. We hypothesized that performing a greater variety of self-reported moderate-to-vigorous activities (MVPAs) would relate to higher objectively measured MVPA minutes in two groups who were successfully maintaining their body weight: weight loss maintainers (WLM/n = 226) and normal-weight individuals (NW/n = 169). The Paffenbarger Questionnaire and RT3 accelerometer were used to determine variety/number of different MVPAs performed and MVPA minutes, respectively. The variety/number of different activities performed by WLM and NW was similar (1.8 ± 1.2 versus 1.7 ± 1.2, P = 0.52). Regression analyses showed that greater variety (P < 0.01) and WLM status (P < 0.05) were each positively related to greater MVPA minutes/day and meeting the ≥250 MVPA minutes/week guideline for long-term weight maintenance. The association between greater variety and higher MVPA was similar in NW and WLM. Future studies should test whether variety can facilitate engagement in higher MVPA levels for more effective weight control

Does wage rank affect employees' well-being?

How do workers make wage comparisons? Both an experimental study and an analysis of 16,000 British employees are reported. Satisfaction and well-being levels are shown to depend on more than simple relative pay. They depend upon the ordinal rank of an individual's wage within a comparison group. “Rank” itself thus seems to matter to human beings. Moreover, consistent with psychological theory, quits in a workplace are correlated with pay distribution skewness

Deepwater Horizon oil spill exposures and nonfatal myocardial infarction in the GuLF STUDY.

BACKGROUND: Workers involved in the response and clean-up of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill faced possible exposures to crude oil, burning oil, dispersants and other pollutants in addition to physical and emotional stress. These exposures may have increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI) among oil spill workers. METHODS: Gulf Long-term Follow-up (GuLF) STUDY participants comprise individuals who either participated in the Deepwater Horizon response efforts or registered for safety training but were not hired. Oil spill-related exposures were assessed during enrollment interviews conducted in 2011-2013. We estimated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals for the associations of clean-up work characteristics with self-reported nonfatal MI up to three years post-spill. RESULTS: Among 31,109 participants without history of MI prior to the spill, 77% worked on the oil spill. There were 192 self-reported MI during the study period; 151 among workers. Among the full cohort, working on the oil spill clean-up (vs not working on the clean-up) and living in proximity to the oil spill (vs further away) were suggestively associated with a possible increased risk of nonfatal MI [RR: 1.22 (0.86, 1.73) and 1.15 (0.82, 1.60), respectively]. Among oil spill workers, working for > 180 days was associated with MI [RR for > 180 days (vs 1-30 days): 2.05 (1.05, 4.01)], as was stopping working due to heat [RR: 1.99 (1.43, 2.78)]. There were suggestive associations of maximum total hydrocarbon exposure ≥3.00 ppm (vs  180 days and stopping work due to heat increased risk of nonfatal MI. Future research should evaluate whether the observed associations are related to specific chemical exposures or other stressors associated with the spill

Proprotein convertase expression and localization in epidermis: evidence for multiple roles and substrates

Specific proteolysis plays an important role in the terminal differentiation of keratinocytes in the epidermis and several types of proteases have been implicated in this process. The proprotein convertases (PCs) are a family of Ca 2+ -dependent serine proteases involved in processing and activation of several types of substrates. In this study we examined the expression and some potential substrates of PCs in epidermis. Four PCs are expressed in epidermis: furin, PACE4, PC5/6 and PC7/8. Furin is detected in two forms, either with or without the transmembrane domain, suggesting occurrence of post-translational cleavage to produce a soluble enzyme. In addition the furin active site has differential accessibility in the granular layer of the epidermis relative to the basal layer, whereas antibodies to the transmembrane domain stain both layers. These findings suggest that furin has access to different types of substrates in granular cells as opposed to basal cells. PC7/8, in contrast, is detected throughout the epidermis with antibodies to both the transmembrane and active site and no soluble form observed. A peptide PC inhibitor (dec-RVKR-CMK) inhibits cleavage of Notch-1, a receptor important in cell fate determination that is found throughout the epidermis. Profilaggrin, found in the granular layer, is specifically cleaved by furin and PACE4 in vitro at a site between the amino terminus and the first filaggrin repeat. This work suggests that the PCs play multiple roles during epidermal differentiation.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75749/1/j.1600-0625.2001.010003193.x.pd

Fall Faculty Conference: The Future of the University

This was the first fall of President Robert Eckley\u27s time in office. The first part of the recording is an open Q&A session, followed by division-based reports. There are frequent references to a recent North Central reaccreditation visit in this meeting. In a memo distributed a day later President Eckley notes that the North Central visit and the recent changes in the general education requirements indicate the importance of a re-assessment of our departmental-divisional-university structural relationships. His proposal formed a structure with three colleges: Liberal Arts, Fine Arts and Applied Arts. Speakers include President Robert Eckley; Robert Harrington, Business & Economics; Justus Pearson, Humanities; Wayne Wantland, Natural Sciences; Emily Dale, Social Sciences; John Ficca, Art & Drama; Richard Hishman, Music; and Mary Shanks, Nursing