The Manufacturing Sector in the Greater Northeastern/Northern Region of Pennsylvania

This report summarizes the findings of an in-depth study of the manufacturing sector in the Greater Northeastern/Northern region of Pennsylvania. The objective of the first section is to draw attention to the role manufacturing plays in the regional economy. It compares manufacturing to other sectors of the economy in terms of employment, gross regional product, wages, productivity, and number of establishments (See Table E-1). It also briefly describes trends in the value of shipments of manufacturing goods as a proxy for exports, manufacturers’ investments in capital expenditures as a measure of capital intensity and adoption of technology, and patenting activity as one measure of research and development (Figure E-1 and Appendix A.1). The second section of the report analyzes the performance of 11 manufacturing driver industries, those industries that drive the regional economy, and identifies growing and large industries among the non-driver manufacturing industries. The third section discusses the competitive advantage of Pennsylvania’s Greater Northeastern/Northern region in regards to manufacturing using data, previous expertise, and an extensive literature review. The fourth and fifth sections describe challenges faced by manufacturers and offers recommendations for growth to the region’s manufacturers, based on research and interviews. Finally, the sixth section summarizes the economic impact of the manufacturing companies assisted by the Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) over the last five years

The IGRINS YSO Survey III: Stellar parameters of pre-main sequence stars in Ophiuchus and Upper Scorpius

We used the Immersion GRating Infrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) to determine fundamental parameters for 61 K- and M-type young stellar objects (YSOs) located in the Ophiuchus and Upper Scorpius star-forming regions. We employed synthetic spectra and a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach to fit specific K-band spectral regions and determine the photospheric temperature ($T_{\rm eff}$), surface gravity ($\log$ g), magnetic field strength (B), projected rotational velocity ($v \sin i$), and K-band veiling ($r_{\rm K}$). We determined B for $\sim$46% of our sample. Stellar parameters were compared to the results from Taurus-Auriga and the TW Hydrae Association (TWA) presented in Paper I of this series. We classified all the YSOs in the IGRINS survey with infrared spectral indices from 2MASS and WISE photometry between 2 and 24~$\mu$m. We found that Class II YSOs typically have lower $\log$ g and $v\sin i$, similar B, and higher K-band veiling than their Class III counterparts. Additionally, we determined the stellar parameters for a sample of K and M field stars also observed with IGRINS. We have identified intrinsic similarities and differences at different evolutionary stages with our homogeneous determination of stellar parameters in the IGRINS YSO Survey. Considering $\log$ g as a proxy for age, we found that the Ophiuchus and Taurus samples have a similar age. We also find that Upper Scorpius and TWA YSOs have similar ages, and are more evolved than Ophiuchus/Taurus YSOs.Comment: 21 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in Ap

A pharmacokinetic study on red ginseng with furosemide in equine

Red ginseng (RG) is a popular ingredient in traditional Korean medicine that has various health benefits. It is commonly taken orally as a dietary supplement; however, its potential interactions with concomitantly administered drugs are unclear. In this study, we examined the pharmacokinetic interaction between furosemide and RG in equine plasma. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis was performed to evaluate ginsenosides in the plasma of horses after feeding them RG and furosemide and validate the results. A single bolus of furosemide (0.5 mg/kg) was administered intravenously to female horses that had consumed RG (600 mg/kg/day) every morning for 3 weeks (experimental group), and blood samples were collected from 0 to 24 h, analyzed, and compared with those from female horses that did not consume RG (control group). Four (20s)-protopanaxadiol ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rd) were detected in the plasma. Rb1 and Rc individually showed a high concentration distribution in the plasma. The Cmax, AUC0−t, and AUC0−∞ of furosemide was significantly increased in the experimental group (p < 0.05), while the CL, Vz, and Vss was decreased (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). These changes indicate the potential for pharmacokinetic interactions between furosemide and RG

Does Manufacturer Advertising Crowd-In or Crowd-Out Retailer Advertising? An Application of an Endogenous Prize Contest with Asymmetric Players

su¢ ciently large increases have a crowding-in e¤ect by "jump-starting"competition between retailers for the larger market. Furthermore, asymmetric abilities in such contests can lead the weaker player to e¤ectively drop out of the contest, thereby undermining the ability of increased prizes to increase e¤ort by intensifying competition. More generally the model can be applied to other contests such as patent races or promotion tournaments where not just the probability of winning but also the value of winning depends on contest e¤ort levels. JEL: C72, D7