THREE ESSAYS ON PUBLIC FINANCE AND PUBLIC POLICY: FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE AND POLICY REINVENTION IN U.S. STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

This dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay, or Chapter 2, advances the literature by examining the conditional effects of lobbying on the relationship between policy learning and policy reinvention. Scholars have consistently shown that learning of successful policies in other states leads to higher likelihood of policy adoption. This essay extends this finding two ways. First, policy learning can also lead to more comprehensive adoption of successful policies. Second, the effect of policy learning on policy comprehensiveness is conditional on lobbying by interest groups, an alternative source of information about policy success. To test these hypotheses, I conduct a directed dyad-year analysis using a dataset on American state drunk driving regulations from 1983 to 2000. The results show that more comprehensive policy adoption by states is positively related to policy success in other states when lobbying by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is relatively low. Moreover, lobbying by MADD increases policy comprehensiveness when policy success is relatively low. The second essay, or Chapter 3, examines the effects of GASB 45 on local government borrowing costs. Government financial disclosure is a key instrument to improve fiscal transparency and accountability. In 2004, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) issued Statement No. 45 to require state and local governments to disclose information about other postemployment benefits (OPEB) for the first time. The theoretical framework incorporates both direct and indirect effects of disclosure on borrowing costs. The empirical tests use a panel of counties across states and the bonds they issued in the primary market between 1999 and 2012. To account for the impact of GASB 45 on county governments’ decisions to issue bonds, a Heckman selection model is estimated. GASB 45 increases borrowing costs of county governments, with the effects decreasing over time. GASB 45 has a larger effect on borrowing costs of county governments issuing bonds of lower credit quality and adopting the generally accepted accounting standards (GAAP). The third essay, or Chapter 4, examines the impact of information about funding of OPEB plans on borrowing costs of local governments. Local governments have disclosed information about other postemployment benefits (OPEB) plans under the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement No. 45 issued in 2004. Funding status is measured by percentage of annual required contribution (ARC) contributed and funded ratios. Two panels of counties and cities with comprehensive annual financial reports available from the Government Financial Officers Association are matched with the bonds they issued between 2008 and 2014. The results show that higher percentage of ARC contributed of OPEB plans are associated with lower borrowing costs for counties; and higher OPEB funded ratios are correlated with lower borrowing costs for cities. Higher percentage of ARC contributed and funded ratios of pension plans are associated with lower borrowing costs for both counties and cities. This essay demonstrates that information about OPEB and pension plans is incorporated in municipal bond pricing

Geochronological and geochemical features of the Cathaysia block (South China): new evidence for the Neoproterozoic breakup of Rodinia

International audienceThe Cathaysia block is an important element for the reconstruction of the Proterozoic tectonic evolution of South China within the Rodinia supercontinent. The Pre-Devonian Cathaysia comprises two litho-tectonic units: a low-grade metamorphic unit and a basement unit; the former was a late Neoproterozoic-Ordovician sandy and muddy sedimentary sequence, the latter consists essentially of metamorphosed Neoproterozoic marine facies sedimentary and basaltic rocks, and a subordinate amount of Paleoproterozoic granites and amphibolites. This block has undergone several tectono-magmatic events. The first event occurred in the late Paleoproterozoic, at ca. 1.9-1.8 Ga, and the tectonic-magmatic event dated at 0.45-0.40 Ga was resulted from the early Paleozoic orogeny that made the Pre-Devonian rocks to undergo a regional lower greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphism. The Neoproterozoic geodynamic event is poorly understood. In this paper, new U-Pb zircon age, whole-rock chemical and zircon Hf isotopic data for mafic and felsic igneous rocks are used to constrain the tectonic evolution of Cathaysia. Zircon SHRIMP U-Pb analyses on four mafic samples yielded rather similar Neoprotorozoic ages of 836 ± 7 Ma (gabbro), 841 ± 12 Ma (gabbro), 847 ± 8 Ma (gabbro) and 857 ± 7 Ma (basalt). Combined with the published isotopic age data, most of the mafic samples dated at 800-860Ma show geochemical characteristics of continental rift basalt. By contrast, rhyolitic samples with an age of 970 Ma have a volcanic arc affinity. All mafic samples have LREE-enriched REE patterns, and non-ophiolitic trace element characteristics. However, the zircon Hf isotopic data of mafic samples show positive epsilon var epsilonHf(t) values (+4.1 to +10.5), suggesting that they were originated from a long-term depleted mantle source. All the available ages indicate that the Cathaysia block has registered two stages of Neoproterozoic magmatism. The younger stage corresponds to a continental rifting phase with emplacement of mafic rocks during the period of 860-800 Ma, whereas the older stage represents an eruption of volcanic arc rocks at about 970 Ma. These two magmatic stages correspond to two distinct tectonic settings within the framework of the geodynamic evolution of Cathaysia. Such a similar Neoproterozoic stratigraphy and magmatism between the Cathaysia, Yangtze and Australian blocks provide a significant line of evidence for placing the Cathaysia block within the Rodinia supercontinent

Integrated transcriptome analysis reveals miRNA-mRNA crosstalk in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Next generation sequencing (NGS) has proven to be a powerful tool in delineating myriads of molecular subtypes of cancer, as well as in revealing accumulation of genomic mutations throughout cancer progression. Whole genome microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA expression profiles were obtained from patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) using deep sequencing technology, and were analyzed by utilizing integrative computational approaches. A large number of protein-coding and non-coding genes were detected to be differentially expressed, indicating a functional switch in LSCC cells. A total of 127 mutated genes were detected to be significantly associated with ectoderm and epidermis development. Eleven miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed, including a potential cancer suppressor miRNA, mir-34c, which was dramatically down-regulated. Integrated analysis of mRNA and miRNA transcriptomes further revealed correlated dynamics among 11 miRNAs and 138 targeted genes, forming a highly dynamical co-regulation network response to LSCC development

A comprehensive comparison of central corneal thickness measurement

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.Purpose. To assess the repeatability and reproducibility of central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements by high-resolution rotating Scheimpflug imaging (Pentacam, Oculus) and Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (RTvue-100, Optovue) after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and to compare the agreement with ultrasound pachymetry (USP). Methods. Forty-seven eyes of 47 patients after LASIK were included in the study. The first examiner took two successive Pentacam and RTvue CCT measurements, and this was repeated once again by the second examiner to assess intraobserver and interobserver repeatability and reproducibility. After performing non-contact examinations, the corneas were measured by USP to compare the level of agreement among the three devices. Results. All Pentacamcenter, Pentacamapex, Pentacamthinnest, and RTvue CCT measurements demonstrated high intraobserver repeatability, with respective precision (1.96 within-subject standard deviation) and intraclass correlation coefficients of 7.52, 7.43, 7.55, and 3.81 μm and 0.985, 0.986, 0.986, and 0.997; interobserver repeatability results were similar. All coefficients of variation were low: <1% for all measures. Compared with Pentacam and USP measurements, the RTvue measurement significantly underestimated CCT by a mean of 10.52 to 15.28 μm (p < 0.001) and 9.17 μm (p < 0.001), respectively. The agreement of USP with Pentacam and RTvue by Bland-Altman analysis spanned over 30 μm. The agreement of Pentacam with RTvue spanned approximate 20 μm. Conclusions. Both Pentacam imaging and RTvue Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography provide reliable and interchangeable measurement of CCT in post-LASIK corneas. However, they cannot be considered to be clinically interchangeable with USP

An Adaptive Fuzzy Min-Max Neural Network Classifier Based on Principle Component Analysis and Adaptive Genetic Algorithm

A novel adaptive fuzzy min-max neural network classifier called AFMN is proposed in this paper. Combined with principle component analysis and adaptive genetic algorithm, this integrated system can serve as a supervised and real-time classification technique. Considering the loophole in the expansion-contraction process of FMNN and GFMN and the overcomplex network architecture of FMCN, AFMN maintains the simple architecture of FMNN for fast learning and testing while rewriting the membership function, the expansion and contraction rules for hyperbox generation to solve the confusion problems in the hyperbox overlap region. Meanwhile, principle component analysis is adopted to finish dataset dimensionality reduction for increasing learning efficiency. After training, the confidence coefficient of each hyperbox is calculated based on the distribution of samples. During classifying procedure, utilizing adaptive genetic algorithm to complete parameter optimization for AFMN can also fasten the entire procedure than traversal method. For conditions where training samples are insufficient, data core weight updating is indispensible to enhance the robustness of classifier and the modified membership function can adjust itself according to the input varieties. The paper demonstrates the performance of AFMN through substantial examples in terms of classification accuracy and operating speed by comparing it with FMNN, GFMN, and FMCN

Geological, geochronological and geochemical features of granulites in the Eastern Tianshan, NW China

This paper reports new results on the petrology, geochronology and geochemistry of two km-scale high-pressure granulite exposures, namely the Weiya and the Yushugou granulites, that occur in the central and southern Tianshan Paleozoic sub-belts, respectively. Petrological and geochemical results suggest that the Weiya and the Yushugou granulites are different in both the rock types and geological structures. The protolith of the Weiya granulite is basic to intermediate rocks, and that of the Yushugou granulite is basic rocks; the former is distributed as fault-bounded blocks within the Precambrian schist-gneiss, and the latter occurs as thrust slabs in the allochthonous ophiolitic mélange. Observation of deformation structures provides some evidence for two-phase ductile deformation of the Tianshan granulites, characterized by deformed garnet-pyroxene and deformed feldspar-quartz microstructures, corresponding to rheological conditions of the lower crustal level and of the middle crustal level, respectively. The deformation structures also indicate that the Weiya granulite was involved in the late stage retrograde metamorphism forming new amphibole, following a thrusting movement toward the north and ductile deformation of feldspar-quartz grains. The Yushugou granulite underwent strong ductile shearing during the Silurian–Devonian interval. Three stages of metamorphism are recorded by mineral assemblages of the Weiya granulite: M1=Pl+Qtz+Bt, M2=Cpx+Grt+Pl+Qtz+Atp±Opx, and M3=Amp+Ep+Pl+Bt+Qtz, in contrast to a two-stage metamorphic history of the Yushugou granulite: M1=Cpx+Grt+Pl±Hyp, M2=Amp+Pl+Qtz±Bt. The P–T condition estimates suggest that the Weiya granulite was formed between 910–1025 °C and 1.08–1.12 GPa, and underwent retrograde metamorphism at 650–670 °C, while the peak metamorphism of the Yushugou granulite took place between 800–870 °C and 0.88–1.13 GPa. Geochemical characteristics (major, REE and incompatible elements) of the Weiya and Yushugou granulites indicate that their protoliths were formed in a volcanic arc setting, implying that a late Precambrian active continental margin may have existed in the study area. The Sm–Nd isochron dating for the Weiya granulite suggests that the peak metamorphism occurred at 538±24 Ma, which was likely related to the ancient plate subduction. The 40Ar/39Ar dating on amphibole grains separated from the Weiya granulite yielded a plateau age of 432±1 Ma for the retrograde metamorphism, which represents an exhumation age, suggesting a significant early Paleozoic tectonothermal event

Adaptive Initialization Method Based on Spatial Local Information for k

k-means algorithm is a widely used clustering algorithm in data mining and machine learning community. However, the initial guess of cluster centers affects the clustering result seriously, which means that improper initialization cannot lead to a desirous clustering result. How to choose suitable initial centers is an important research issue for k-means algorithm. In this paper, we propose an adaptive initialization framework based on spatial local information (AIF-SLI), which takes advantage of local density of data distribution. As it is difficult to estimate density correctly, we develop two approximate estimations: density by t-nearest neighborhoods (t-NN) and density by ϵ-neighborhoods (ϵ-Ball), leading to two implements of the proposed framework. Our empirical study on more than 20 datasets shows promising performance of the proposed framework and denotes that it has several advantages: (1) can find the reasonable candidates of initial centers effectively; (2) it can reduce the iterations of k-means’ methods significantly; (3) it is robust to outliers; and (4) it is easy to implement

Optimization on the jet characteristics of the main nozzle of hot-blowing snow removal device

The exhaust devices used by snow removal vehicles are mainly based on hot-blowing snow removal. Due to the inherent characteristics of the turbojet engine such as low flow rate and high exhaust temperature, the modified hot-blowing snow removal device has problems of low snow removal efficiency and the possibility of ablation and damage to the road surface. In order to solve the problem, transforming the turbofan engine with a high flow rate and a low exhaust temperature into a hot-blowing snow removal device is an important improvement to achieve efficient and safe snow removal operations. In order to convert a medium bypass ratio turbofan engine into a hot-blowing snow removal device, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software CFX was used to analyze the internal and external flow field characteristics of the main nozzle of an exhaust device under the 60 % rated condition of the engine. The effective area sizes of the jet velocity and temperature predicted by the external flow field were used to optimize the layout of the main nozzle