Non-stationary self-similar Gaussian processes as scaling limits of power law shot noise processes and generalizations of fractional Brownian motion

We study shot noise processes with Poisson arrivals and non-stationary noises. The noises are conditionally independent given the arrival times, but the distribution of each noise does depend on its arrival time. We establish scaling limits for such shot noise processes in two situations: 1) the conditional variance functions of the noises have a power law and 2) the conditional noise distributions are piecewise. In both cases, the limit processes are self-similar Gaussian with nonstationary increments. Motivated by these processes, we introduce new classes of self-similar Gaussian processes with non-stationary increments, via the time-domain integral representation, which are natural generalizations of fractional Brownian motions.Published versio

Incentives and Gender in a Multi-task Setting: an Experimental Study with Real-Effort Tasks

This paper investigates the behavioural effects of competitive, social-value and social-image incentives on men’s and women’s allocation of effort in a multi-task environment. Specifically, using two real-effort laboratory tasks, we investigate how competitive prizes, social-value generation and public awards affect effort allocation decisions between the tasks. We find that all three types of incentives significantly focus effort allocation towards the task they are applied in, but the effect varies significantly between men and women. The highest effort distortion lies with competitive incentives, which is due to the effort allocation decision of men. Women exert similar amount of effort across the three incentive conditions, with slightly lower effort levels in the social-image incentivized tasks. Our results inform how and why genders differences may persist in competitive workplaces

A Case Study in the Superiority of the Purposive Approach to Statutory Interpretation: \u3cem\u3e Bruesewitz v. Wyeth \u3c/em\u3e

This Article uses the Supreme Court’s 2011 decision in Bruesewitz v. Wyeth to examine the textualist or “plain meaning” approach to statutory interpretation. For more than a quarter-century, Justice Scalia has successfully promoted textualism, usually associated with conservatism, among his colleagues. In Bruesewitz, Scalia, writing for the majority, and his liberal colleague Justice Sotomayer, in dissent, both employed textualism to determine if the plaintiffs, whose child was allegedly harmed by a vaccine, could pursue common-law tort claims or whether their remedies were limited to those available under the no-fault compensation system established by the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act. Despite these Justices’ common approach to statutory interpretation, they reached diametrically opposite conclusions in opinions that dissected the statutory language and quarreled over the meaning of “even though” and “if” clauses. In contrast, Justice Breyer employed a purposive or “purposes and objectives” approach to statutory interpretation. Rather than obsessing over the meaning of each and every phrase, Breyer looked at Congress’s goals in passing the Act. He recognized that Scalia’s conclusion was correct, not because of the supposedly “plain” meaning of specific language, but because this interpretation was the only one that enabled the alternative compensation system to function as Congress envisioned. Other scholars have analyzed Bruesewitz as a preemption case, but despite statutory interpretation’s inherently decisive role in express preemption cases, this is the first Article to highlight Bruesewitz as an illustration of the emptiness of textualism

Changing clinical and therapeutic trends in tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas: a systematic review

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas are characterized by a high hemorrhagic risk. We evaluated trends in outcomes and management of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas and performed a meta-analysis evaluating clinical and angiographic outcomes by treatment technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a comprehensive literature search for studies on surgical and endovascular treatment of tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas. We compared the proportion of patients undergoing endovascular, surgical, and combined endovascular/surgical management; the proportion of patients presenting with ruptured tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas; and proportion of patients with good neurologic outcome across 3 time periods: 1980-1995, 1996-2005, and 2006-2014. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis, evaluating the rates of occlusion, long-term good neurologic outcome, perioperative morbidity, and resolution of symptoms for the 3 treatment modalities. RESULTS: Twenty-nine studies with 274 patients were included. The proportion of patients treated with surgical treatment alone decreased from 38.7% to 20.4% between 1980-1995 and 2006-2014. The proportion of patients treated with endovascular therapy alone increased from 16.1% to 48.0%. The proportion of patients presenting with ruptured tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas decreased from 64.4% to 43.6%. The rate of good neurologic outcome increased from 80.7% to 92.9%. Complete occlusion rates were highest for patients receiving multimodality treatment (84.0%; 95% CI, 72.0%-91.0%) and lowest for endovascular treatment (71.0%; 95% CI, 56.0%-83.0%; P < .01). Long-term good neurologic outcome was highest in the endovascular group (89.0%; 95% CI, 80.0%-95.0%) and lowest for the surgical group (73.0%; 95% CI, 51.0%-87.0%; P < .03). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulas are increasingly presenting with unruptured lesions, being treated endovascularly, and experiencing higher rates of good neurologic outcomes. Endovascular treatment was associated with superior neurologic outcomes but lower occlusion rate

Kajian Pengeringan Jahe (Zingiber Officinale Rosc) Berdasarkan Perubahan Geometrik Dan Warna Menggunakan Metode Image Analysis

Purpose of this study was to determine change in geometric and color during the drying process using image analysis method. Method used in this study was experimental method. Tools and materials used were ginger, image acquisition box, digital cameras, and computers. Measured parameters included temperature, moisture content, mass of material, geometry and color changes. Results from this study showed that the lowest value of material mass was 1.91 gr of the lowest shelf and 3.21 gr of the upper shelf which directly proportional to the reduction of material moisture content at lowest shelf by 5.66%, due to the heating source placed near the shelf, therefore it will directly heat the material. While the highest value was showed by the highest shelf material of 13.93% moisture content. Actual measurement of surface shrinkage showed declining during 8-hour drying and result from image analysis&nbsp;ranged from 37,548 to 17,201 pixels, 27.77 cm2 to 10.07 cm2by using trapezoidal numerical integration&nbsp;of the highest shelf, and 27.3 cm2 to 10.37 cm2 by using Simpson methods. Based on this study, image analysis can be used to measure ginger color changes from yellowish white to brownish yellow and measure surfaces shrinkage. Keywords: geometric and color, ginger, drying &nbsp

Modifikasi Dan Uji Performansi Alat Pengering Hybrid (Surya-biomassa) Tipe Rak

This study aimed to modify biomass furnaces source of heat energy from the combustion of biomass, study thermal energy generated from combination of solar and biomass energy, and determine efficiency of furnaces and efficiency of total system of a rack type hybrid (solar-biomass) dryer. Method used in this research was experimental method. Used fuel was coconut shell charcoal and used tools include iron plate, blower, pipe, grinding and welding tools, thermometer, anemometer, lux meter, data logger and analytical balance. Observed parameters were temperature, air humidity, sun&nbsp;radiation, velocity and flow rate of hot air towards the drying chamber, drying period, energy loss and energy produced inside the furnace. Modification made by adding drawer shaped biomass furnace with 0.65 m length, 0.65 m wide and 0.25 m height. The furnace was equipped with a chimney and blower. Results from the test performance showed that this tool yield total heat loss of 18,173.15 KJ at the upright furnace wall. Whereas heat loss at furnace floor was 4380.899 KJ. Energy consumption was 151,602.064 for solar energy and 48,399.4 KJ for biomass energy, with total drying energy generated by solar energy and biomass i.e. 200,001 KJ. Efficiency value of the drying system was 19% with 30% furnace efficiency. Keywords: Hybrid dryer, heat loss, biomass furnace