STATE GENERAL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES IN FLORIDA

Public Economics,

PROCESSOR DEMAND AND PRICE-MARKUP FUNCTIONS FOR CATFISH: A DISAGGREGATED ANALYSIS WITH IMPLICATIONS FOR THE OFF-FLAVOR PROBLEM

Off-flavor in catfish restricts farm marketings 10 to 45% depending on the season. The economic impact on society of this imposed supply restriction depends, in part, on the elasticity of demand for catfish. Econometric estimates based on disaggregated processing plant data indicate an elastic demand at the processor level but an inelastic demand at the farm level. Short-run social welfare gains from the elimination of off-flavor are estimated to equal 12.0% of farm revenues ($10.0 million in 1983). The inelastic demand for catfish at the farm level, however, means that most of the societal gains will accrue to individuals beyond the farm gate. Thus, an economic justification exists for public sector funding of off-flavor research.Demand and Price Analysis,

The design of a Space-borne multispectral canopy LiDAR to estimate global carbon stock and gross primary productivity

Understanding the dynamics of the global carbon cycle is one of the most challenging issues for the scientific community. The ability to measure the magnitude of terrestrial carbon sinks as well as monitoring the short and long term changes is vital for environmental decision making. Forests form a significant part of the terrestrial biosystem and understanding the global carbon cycle, Above Ground Biomass (AGB) and Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) are critical parameters. Current estimates of AGB and GPP are not adequate to support models of the global carbon cycle and more accurate estimates would improve predictions of the future and estimates of the likely behaviour of these sinks. Various vegetation indices have been proposed for the characterisation of forests including canopy height, canopy area, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI). Both NDVI and PRI are obtained from a measure of reflectivity at specific wavelengths and have been estimated from passive measurements. The use of multi-spectral LiDAR to measure NDVI and PRI and their vertical distribution within the forest represents a significant improvement over current techniques. This paper describes an approach to the design of an advanced Multi-Spectral Canopy LiDAR, using four wavelengths for measuring the vertical profile of the canopy simultaneously. It is proposed that the instrument be placed on a satellite orbiting the Earth on a sun synchronous polar orbit to provide samples on a rectangular grid at an approximate separation of 1km with a suitable revisit frequency. The systems engineering concept design will be presented

Alignment-insensitive coupling for PLC-based surface mount photonics

A flip-chip waveguide coupler with an order of magnitude greater alignment tolerance than competing approaches is presented for the first time. Experimental data for an "optical jumper" agree with simple design considerations. Application to a planar lightwave circuit-based surface mount photonics platform is outlined

How pharmacoepidemiology networks can manage distributed analyses to improve replicability and transparency and minimize bias

Several pharmacoepidemiology networks have been developed over the past decade that use a distributed approach, implementing the same analysis at multiple data sites, to preserve privacy and minimize data sharing. Distributed networks are efficient, by interrogating data on very large populations. The structure of these networks can also be leveraged to improve replicability, increase transparency, and reduce bias. We describe some features of distributed networks using, as examples, the Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies, the Sentinel System in the USA, and the European Research Network of Pharmacovigilance and Pharmacoepidemiology. Common protocols, analysis plans, and data models, with policies on amendments and protocol violations, are key features. These tools ensure that studies can be audited and repeated as necessary. Blinding and strict conflict of interest policies reduce the potential for bias in analyses and interpretation. These developments should improve the timeliness and accuracy of information used to support both clinical and regulatory decisions

A safe method for the retrieval of a dislocated trial head in total hip arthroplasty

Total hip arthroplasty is a life changing procedure providing a significant improvement in the quality of life for those receiving treatment. An 81-year-old male with severe right sided hip osteoarthritis underwent uncemented total hiparthroplasty. Intraoperatively the 32mm trial head dislodged from the trial stem over the anterior rim of the acetabulum relocating to within the pelvic cavity. Time efficient retrieval was performed during primary surgery through a mini-incision at the iliac crest

The 8 Micron Phase Variation of the Hot Saturn HD 149026b

We monitor the star HD 149026 and its Saturn-mass planet at 8.0 micron over slightly more than half an orbit using the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on the Spitzer Space Telescope. We find an increase of 0.0227% +/- 0.0066% (3.4 sigma significance) in the combined planet-star flux during this interval. The minimum flux from the planet is 45% +/- 19% of the maximum planet flux, corresponding to a difference in brightness temperature of 480 +/- 140 K between the two hemispheres. We derive a new secondary eclipse depth of 0.0411% +/- 0.0076% in this band, corresponding to a dayside brightness temperature of 1440 +/- 150 K. Our new secondary eclipse depth is half that of a previous measurement (3.0 sigma difference) in this same bandpass by Harrington et al. (2007). We re-fit the Harrington et al. (2007) data and obtain a comparably good fit with a smaller eclipse depth that is consistent with our new value. In contrast to earlier claims, our new eclipse depth suggests that this planet's dayside emission spectrum is relatively cool, with an 8 micron brightness temperature that is less than the maximum planet-wide equilibrium temperature. We measure the interval between the transit and secondary eclipse and find that that the secondary eclipse occurs 20.9 +7.2 / -6.5 minutes earlier (2.9 sigma) than predicted for a circular orbit, a marginally significant result. This corresponds to e*cos(omega) = -0.0079 +0.0027 / -0.0025 where e is the planet's orbital eccentricity and omega is the argument of pericenter.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figure, accepted for publication in Ap

GILP: An Interactive Tool for Visualizing the Simplex Algorithm

The Simplex algorithm for solving linear programs-one of Computing in Science & Engineering's top 10 most influential algorithms of the 20th century-is an important topic in many algorithms courses. While the Simplex algorithm relies on intuitive geometric ideas, the computationally-involved mechanics of the algorithm can obfuscate a geometric understanding. In this paper, we present gilp, an easy-to-use Simplex algorithm visualization tool designed to explicitly connect the mechanical steps of the algorithm with their geometric interpretation. We provide an extensive library with example visualizations, and our tool allows an instructor to quickly produce custom interactive HTML files for students to experiment with the algorithm (without requiring students to install anything!). The tool can also be used for interactive assignments in Jupyter notebooks, and has been incorporated into a forthcoming Data Science and Decision Making interactive textbook. In this paper, we first describe how the tool fits into the existing literature on algorithm visualizations: how it was designed to facilitate student engagement and instructor adoption, and how it substantially extends existing algorithm visualization tools for Simplex. We then describe the development and usage of the tool, and report feedback from its use in a course with roughly 100 students. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with students finding the tool easy to use: it effectively helped them link the algebraic and geometrical views of the Simplex algorithm and understand its nuances. Finally, gilp is open-source, includes an extension to visualizing linear programming-based branch and bound, and is readily amenable to further extensions.Comment: ACM SIGCSE 2023 Manuscript, 13 pages, 5 figure