Is Attracting Retirees a Sustainable Rural Economic Development Policy?

An economic impact analysis was conducted in two rural counties in Northwest Arkansas to observe effects of hypothetical retiree in-migration as a sustainable economic development policy. The analysis reveals economic benefits with varying impacts and additional socio-economic costs on both counties. The policy has the potential for sustaining in the long-term.Community/Rural/Urban Development,

The Changing Structure of Arkansas\u27 Economy: A Shift-Share Analysis

The state of Arkansas enjoys the advantages of its unique central location in the nation, excellent natural surroundings, low cost of living, and one of the best business climates in the southern United States. It is home to several of the largest corporations in the world. Over the period 1980-2000, there was tremendous growth in the state’s economy. However, the growth was confined to specific regions that led to several socio-economic issues adversely affecting the state. To better understand the components and variations in economic growth, a county-wise shift-share analysis was conducted. Employment, a good indicator of economic growth, was used to analyze the changes in the local economic structure of the 75 counties in the state. Findings suggest that while services and retail trade continue to grow, manufacturing and the state/local government continue to be important employers for the state. Farm employment continues to decline, although farm-related manufacturing and services are becoming more important. This report provides a sectoral analysis of employment changes within the counties and is a potential point of reference for both government and industry engaged in community-level policy making and investment

Two Higgs bosons near 125 GeV in the NMSSM: beyond the narrow width approximation

In the next-to-minimal supersymmetric (NMS) Standard Model (SM), it is possible for either one of the additional singlet-like scalar and pseudoscalar Higgs bosons to be almost degenerate in mass with the ~125 GeV SM-like Higgs state. In the real NMSSM (rNMSSM), when the mass difference between two scalar states is comparable to their individual total decay widths, the quantum mechanical interference, due to the relevant diagonal as well as off-diagonal terms in the propagator matrix, between them can become sizable. This possibility invalidates usage of the narrow width approximation (NWA) to compute the cross section for the production of a di-photon pair with a given invariant mass via resonant Higgs boson(s) in the gluon fusion process at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). When, motivated by the baryon asymmetry of the universe, CP-violating (CPV) phases are explicitly invoked in the Higgs sector of the NMSSM, all the interaction eigenstates mix to give five CP-indefinite physical Higgs bosons. In this scenario, the interference effects due the off-diagonal terms in the Higgs mass matrix that mix the pseudoscalar-like state with the SM-like one can also become significant, when these two are sufficiently mass-degenerate. We perform a detailed analysis, in both the real and complex NMSSM, of these interference effects, when the full propagator matrix is taken into account, in the production of a photon pair with an invariant mass near 125 GeV through gluon fusion. We find that these effects can account for up to ~40% of the total cross section for certain model parameter configurations. We also investigate how such mutually interfering states contributing to the ~125 GeV signal observed at the LHC can be distinguished from a single resonance.Comment: 26 pages, 9 figures. Typos corrected, some figures and text improved. Version published in EPJ

Quantum interference among heavy NMSSM Higgs bosons

In the Next-to-Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (NMSSM), it is possible to have strong mass degeneracies between the new singlet-like scalar and the heavy doublet-like scalar, as well as between the singlet-like and doublet-like pseudoscalar Higgs states. When the difference in the masses of such states is comparable with the sum of their widths, the quantum mechanical interference between their propagators can become significant. We study these effects by taking into account the full Higgs boson propagator matrix in the calculation of the production process of $\tau^+\tau^-$ pairs in gluon fusion at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). We find that, while these interference effects are sizeable, they are not resolvable in terms of the distributions of differential cross sections, owing to the poor detector resolution of the $\tau^+\tau^-$ invariant mass. They are, however, identifiable via the inclusive cross sections, which are subject to significant variations with respect to the standard approaches, wherein the propagating Higgs bosons are treated independently from one another. We quantify these effects for several representative benchmark points, extracted from a large set of points, obtained by numerical scanning of the NMSSM parameter space, that satisfy the most important experimental constraints currently available.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Revised benchmark points and figures, overall results and conclusions unchanged. Version to appear in PR

TOWARDS A COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL WATER POLICY MODEL FOR THE TEXAS HIGH PLAINS

A 19 county, 50-year dynamic economic optimization model of irrigated crop production is linked to a detailed hydrology model for purposes of improving policy estimates of economic cost and associated water saving of groundwater conservation management policies. Spatial and temporal desegregation, allows planners to target specific areas and improve the accuracy of benefit-cost policy estimates.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

MOLECULAR TARGET AND THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS OF RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: A REVIEW.

 Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disease. Cytokine plays a significant role in modulating the immune systemand specifically the inflammation. The role of cytokines in disease has led to new development in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Differentmediator cause inflammation, and degradation of joint cartilage in RA. Some of the novel target inhibitors, which are used to treat and control thisdisease are cyclooxygenase-2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), TNF-α converting enzyme, interleukin-1, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, matrix metalloproteinase,nuclear factor κB, mitogen activated protein kinase, phosphodiesterase-4, janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription, Bruton'styrosine kinase, spleen tyrosine kinase, Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases. The mode of action and their progress in research have been covered in thisreview.Keywords: Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs, Tumor necrosis factor-α converting enzyme, Tumor necrosis factor-α, Janus kinase, Spleentyrosine kinase, Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases (PI3K)

Communications Training Needs in Arkansas\u27 Agritourism Industry

Agritourism has emerged globally as a tool to diversify farm income, and the need for non-formal educational programming in this area has become obvious. In Arkansas, Cooperative Extension educators have lacked empirical data to guide program development. One clear need, according to literature, is for operators to improve marketing communications skills. Researchers surveyed agritourism operators in Arkansas to describe demographics, educational needs (especially related to marketing communications), and educational delivery preferences. Results indicated that operators were typically older than 50 and that 60% had been in operation for longer than 10 years. Key issues and educational needs related to marketing communications included promotion and marketing, advertising, media relations, and signage. Communications tactics commonly used by the respondents included word-of-mouth (WOM); websites; print, radio, and television advertising; and local media relations. Preferred delivery methods for educational programming related to agritourism included periodic newsletters, regional workshops, and news releases

Solubility and Dissolution Enhancement of Etoricoxib by Solid Dispersion Technique Using Sugar Carriers

The aim of the present study was to improve solubility and dissolution of the poorly aqueous soluble drug, etoricoxib by solvent evaporation technique using various sugar carriers, such as lactose, sucrose, and mannitol. Etoricoxib solid dispersions and their respective physical mixtures using lactose, sucrose, and mannitol were prepared in different ratios by solvent evaporation technique. The percent yield, drug content, saturation solubility, and in vitro dissolution of etoricoxib solid dispersions and physical mixtures were analyzed. Etoricoxib solid dispersions were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, XRD, and DSC analysis. The FTIR spectroscopic analysis revealed the possibility of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in various solid dispersions. The XRD and DSC studies indicated the transformation of crystalline etoricoxib (in pure drug) to amorphous etoricoxib (in solid dispersions) by the solid dispersion technology. Both the aqueous solubility and dissolution of etoricoxib were observed in all etoricoxib solid dispersions as compared with pure etoricoxib and their physical mixtures. The in vitro dissolution studies exhibited improved dissolution in case of solid dispersion using lactose than the solid dispersions using both sucrose and mannitol. The in vitro dissolution of etoricoxib from these solid dispersions followed Hixson-Crowell model

Smart Hospitality and Secure Tourism Management using Blockchain Technology: BESHosTM Approach

Throughout the age of 5G technology, the majority of contactless banking is made via software that is enabled by a wide range of financial platforms. Several alternative financing channels provide access to a variety of services. The opportunity for hackers to engage in nefarious behaviour such as payment account hacking, identity theft, and payment system assaults stages of clearances with e-tourism, monetary information is kept in a database. Payment issues can be caused by a centralised cloud server. Throughout the periods of heavy congestion, the abovementioned problems are solvable by utilising a decentralised system like blockchain, it allows for the maintenance of trustworthiness between distinct groups of financial institutions, tour companies, airways, and trains are examples of consumers. Cruise ships, accommodations, cafes, as well as regional cabs are all available. Inspired mostly by following the foregoing debate, we suggest the blockchain Enables Secure Smart Hospitality and Tourism Management (BESHosTM) model