Persistence of Regional Unemployment: Application of a Spatial Filtering Approach to Local Labour Markets in Germany

The geographical distribution and persistence of regional/local unemployment rates in heterogeneous economies (such as Germany) have been, in recent years, the subject of various theoretical and empirical studies. Several researchers have shown an interest in analysing the dynamic adjustment processes of unemployment and the average degree of dependence of the current unemployment rates or gross domestic product from the ones observed in the past. In this paper, we present a new econometric approach to the study of regional unemployment persistence, in order to account for spatial heterogeneity and/or spatial autocorrelation in both the levels and the dynamics of unemployment. First, we propose an econometric procedure suggesting the use of spatial filtering techniques as a substitute for fixed effects in a panel estimation framework. The spatial filter computed here is a proxy for spatially distributed region-specific information (e.g., the endowment of natural resources, or the size of the ‘home market’) that is usually incorporated in the fixed effects parameters. The advantages of our proposed procedure are that the spatial filter, by incorporating region-specific information that generates spatial autocorrelation, frees up degrees of freedom, simultaneously corrects for time-stable spatial autocorrelation in the residuals, and provides insights about the spatial patterns in regional adjustment processes. We present several experiments in order to investigate the spatial pattern of the heterogeneous autoregressive parameters estimated for unemployment data for German NUTS-3 regions. We find widely heterogeneous but generally high persistence in regional unemployment rates.

The transition from the annular to the slug flow regime in two-phase flow

Experiments were conducted to determine the transition from annular to semiannular flow regimes for two-phase, gas-liquid upflow in vertical tubes. The influencesof liquid flow rate, tube diameter, liquid viscosity, surface tension, and density ratio were tested. The transition location, giving the least gas flow which will support annular flow, is correlated for low liquid flows. The effects of surface tension and liquid viscosity are small for tubes of 0.5" and greater diameter. For large liquid flows the transition occurs at constant quality. Over the range of variables tested, the void fraction at transition lies between 80% and 90%. The criterion of transition is the appearance of liquid plugs which intermittently bridge across the tube. The pressure drop and volume void fraction at transition are reported but not correlated. Recommendations for extension of the experimental results to untested conditions are presented.Sponsored by The Atomic Energy Commission DS

The role of surface conditions in nucleate boiling

Nucleation from a single cavity has been stuied indicating that cavity gemtry is aportant in two ways. The mouth diameter determines the superheat nmeded to initiate boiling and its shape determines its stability one boiling has begun. Contact angle is shown to be important in bubble nucleation primarity thrugh its effect on cavity stability. Contact angle measurements made on "clean" and paraffin coated stainIess steel murftces with water shcw that the contact angle varies between 20 and 110* for tenperatures from 20[degree] to 170[degree] C. On the basis of single cavity nucleation theory, it is proposed to characterie the gross nucleation properties of a given surface for all fnds under all conditions with a single group having the dmnions of length. Finally, it is shown experimentally that this characterization is adequate by boiling water, methmnol and ethanol different copper surfaces finished with 3/0 emry, and showing that the number of active centers per unit area is a function of this variable alone.Office of Naval Research DSR Projec

Vertical integration and technology: theory and evidence

This paper investigates the determinants of vertical integration. We first derive a number of predictions regarding the relationship between technology intensity and vertical integration from a simple incomplete contracts model. Then, we investigate these predictions using plant-level data for the UK manufacturing sector. Most importantly, and consistent with theory, we find that the technology intensities of downstream (producer) and upstream (supplier) industries have opposite effects on the likelihood of vertical integration. Also consistent with theory, both these effects are stronger when the supplying industry accounts for a large fraction of the producer's costs. These results are generally robust and hold with alternative measures of technology intensity, with alternative estimation strategies, and with or without controlling for a number of firm and industry-level characteristics

Consistent Technique Limits Suspension Laryngoscopy Complications

ntroduction Suspension laryngoscopy (SL) is a commonly performed procedure among otolaryngologists. Several studies have shown that adverse effects occur regularly with SL. Objective To evaluate the postoperative complications of SL, and to determine if protecting the dentition and the oral mucosa and limiting suspension times decrease the overall incidence of oral cavity and pharyngeal complications of SL. Methods All of the cases of SL performed by 1 surgeon from November 2008 through September 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. A consistent technique for dental and mucosal protection was utilized, and suspension times were strictly limited to 30 consecutive minutes. The incidence of postoperative complications was calculated and analyzed with respect to gender, smoking status, dentition, laryngoscope type, and suspension system. Results A total of 213 consecutive SL cases were reviewed, including 174 patients (94 male, 80 female). The overall postoperative complication rate was of 3.8%. Four patients experienced tongue-related complications, two experienced oral mucosal alterations, one had a dental injury, and one experienced a minor facial burn. The complication incidence was greater with the Zeitels system (12.5%) compared with the Lewy suspension system (3.3%), although it was not significant (p = 0.4). Likewise, the association of complications with other patient factors was not statistically significant. Conclusion Only 8 out of 213 cases in the present series experienced complications, which is significantly less than the complication rates observed in other reports. Consistent and conscientious protection of the dentition and of the oral mucosa and limiting suspension times to 30 minutes are factors unique to our series that appear to reduce complications in endolaryngeal surgery

Protection of mice against cancer by immunization with membranes but not purified virions from virus infected cancer cells.

The life span of C57/Bl mice inoculated with Lewis lung carcinoma cells was prolonged if the mice were pre-immunized with membranes from these cells infected in vitro with influenza virus. Likewise, BALB/c mice were protected against the malignant tumour WEHI-11 by prior immunization with extracts of cultured WEHI-11 cells which had been infected with influenza virus or Semiliki Forest virus (SFV). Partially purified SFV grown in WEHI-11 cells also protected mice from cancer grafts but neither highly purified SFV nor the glycoprotein from the envelope of this virus protected the mice. It is concluded that SFV-induced immunopotentiation against cancer is not due to covalent linkage of tumour specific transplantation antigen (TSTA) to viral envelope protein but more probably is due to the apposition of viral glycoprotein and cellular TSTA in the plasma membrane of the cancer cell

Measurement of Linear Stark Interference in 199Hg

We present measurements of Stark interference in the 6$^1S_0$ $\rightarrow$ 6$^3P_1$ transition in $^{199}$Hg, a process whereby a static electric field $E$ mixes magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole couplings into an electric dipole transition, leading to $E$-linear energy shifts similar to those produced by a permanent atomic electric dipole moment (EDM). The measured interference amplitude, $a_{SI}$ = $(a_{M1} + a_{E2})$ = (5.8 $\pm$ 1.5)$\times 10^{-9}$ (kV/cm)$^{-1}$, agrees with relativistic, many-body predictions and confirms that earlier central-field estimates are a factor of 10 too large. More importantly, this study validates the capability of the $^{199}$Hg EDM search apparatus to resolve non-trivial, controlled, and sub-nHz Larmor frequency shifts with EDM-like characteristics.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; revised in response to reviewer comment

Derivation of tropospheric methane from TCCON CH₄ and HF total column observations

The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a global ground-based network of Fourier transform spectrometers that produce precise measurements of column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of atmospheric methane (CH₄). Temporal variability in the total column of CH₄ due to stratospheric dynamics obscures fluctuations and trends driven by tropospheric transport and local surface fluxes that are critical for understanding CH₄ sources and sinks. We reduce the contribution of stratospheric variability from the total column average by subtracting an estimate of the stratospheric CH₄ derived from simultaneous measurements of hydrogen fluoride (HF). HF provides a proxy for stratospheric CH₄ because it is strongly correlated to CH₄ in the stratosphere, has an accurately known tropospheric abundance (of zero), and is measured at most TCCON stations. The stratospheric partial column of CH₄ is calculated as a function of the zonal and annual trends in the relationship between CH₄ and HF in the stratosphere, which we determine from ACE-FTS satellite data. We also explicitly take into account the CH₄ column averaging kernel to estimate the contribution of stratospheric CH₄ to the total column. The resulting tropospheric CH₄ columns are consistent with in situ aircraft measurements and augment existing observations in the troposphere

Improved limit on the permanent electric dipole moment of 199Hg

We report the results of a new experimental search for a permanent electric dipole moment of 199Hg utilizing a stack of four vapor cells. We find d(199Hg) = (0.49 \pm 1.29_stat \pm 0.76_syst) x 10^{-29} e cm, and interpret this as a new upper bound, |d(199Hg)| < 3.1 x 10^{-29} e cm (95% C.L.). This result improves our previous 199Hg limit by a factor of 7, and can be used to set new constraints on CP violation in physics beyond the standard model.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. additional reference, minor edits in response to reviewer comment

COVID-19, Equity and Men’s Health: Using Evidence to Inform Future Public Health Policy, Practice and Research Responses in Pandemics

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) reflected a global pandemic. Early epidemiological analyses demonstrated that boys and men have similar rates of COVID-19 infection to girls and women. However, boys and men appear to be disproportionately impacted with respect to severity and mortality, including those from marginalised or minority backgrounds. Yet, considerations of sex and gender, and their relationship to health and social inequities, have been absent from recent COVID-19 policy and practice pandemic responses. This evidence-based commentary discusses the nexus between COVID-19, equity, and boys and men’s health from a broad public health perspective. Using scholarship about intersections between race and gender; and poverty, social determinants of health, and gender; we explain why a health equity lens is important to address the health and social inequities boys and men face during pandemics. This contribution provides guidance about future global public healthpandemic responses for society’s most vulnerable groups of boys and men