Expansion-induced contribution to the precession of binary orbits

We point out the existence of new effects of global spacetime expansion on local binary systems. In addition to a possible change of orbital size, there is a contribution to the precession of elliptic orbits, to be added to the well-known general relativistic effect in static spacetimes, and the eccentricity can change. Our model calculations are done using geodesics in a McVittie metric, representing a localized system in an asymptotically Robertson-Walker spacetime; we give a few numerical estimates for that case, and indicate ways in which the model should be improved.Comment: revtex, 7 pages, no figures; revised for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravity, with minor changes in response to referees' comment

Patient reactions to a web-based cardiovascular risk calculator in type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study in primary care.

Use of risk calculators for specific diseases is increasing, with an underlying assumption that they promote risk reduction as users become better informed and motivated to take preventive action. Empirical data to support this are, however, sparse and contradictory

The Great Recession, Austerity and Inequality: Evidence from Ireland. ESRI WP499. April 2015

The advent of the Great Recession and the widespread adoption of fiscal austerity policies have heightened concern about inequality and its effects. We examine how the distribution of income in Ireland has evolved over the years 2008 to 2013, using data from the CSO’s Survey on Income and Living Conditions. Snapshots of the income distribution show that the greatest falls in income were for the bottom decile (poorest 10 per cent). Longitudinal analysis shows that these sharp falls were not due to decreasing income for those remaining in the bottom decile, but to falling income among those with somewhat higher incomes. Most of those falling into the bottom decile came from the bottom one third of the income distribution

Social networks and labour productivity in Europe: An empirical investigation

This paper uses firm-level data recorded in the AMADEUS database to investigate the distribution of labour productivity in different European countries. We find that the upper tail of the empirical productivity distributions follows a decaying power-law, whose exponent $\alpha$ is obtained by a semi-parametric estimation technique recently developed by Clementi et al. (2006). The emergence of "fat tails" in productivity distribution has already been detected in Di Matteo et al. (2005) and explained by means of a model of social network. Here we show that this model is tested on a broader sample of countries having different patterns of social network structure. These different social attitudes, measured using a social capital indicator, reflect in the power-law exponent estimates, verifying in this way the existence of linkages among firms' productivity performance and social network.Comment: LaTeX2e; 18 pages with 3 figures; Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, in pres

High-Throughput Screening of the Asymmetric Decarboxylative Alkylation Reaction of Enolate-Stabilized Enol Carbonates

The use of high-throughput screening allowed for the optimization of reaction conditions for the palladium-catalyzed asymmetric decarboxylative alkylation reaction of enolate-stabilized enol carbonates. Changing to a nonpolar reaction solvent and to an electron-deficient PHOX derivative as ligand from our standard ­reaction conditions improved the enantioselectivity for the alkylation of a ketal-protected,1,3-diketone-derived enol carbonate from 28% ee to 84% ee. Similar improvements in enantioselectivity were seen for a β-keto ester derived and an α-phenyl cyclohexanone-­derived enol carbonate

Crisis, Response and Distributional Impact: The Case of Ireland. ESRI WP456. May 2013

Ireland is one of the countries most severely affected by the Great Recession. National income fell by more than 10 per cent between 2007 and 2012, as a result of the bursting of a remarkable property bubble, an exceptionally severe banking crisis, and deep fiscal adjustment. This paper examines the income distribution consequences of the recession, and identifies the impact of a broad range of austerity policies on the income distribution. The overall fall in income was just under 8 per cent between 2008 and 2011, but the greatest losses were strongly concentrated on the bottom and top deciles. Tax, welfare and public sector pay changes over the 2008 to 2013 period gave rise to slightly lower than average losses for the bottom decile. Thus, the larger than average losses observed overall are not due to these policy changes; instead, the main driving factors are the direct effects of the recession itself. Policy changes do contribute to the larger than average losses at high income levels

Two new species of Prosorhynchoides (Digenea: Bucephalidae) from Tylosurus crocodilus (Belonidae) from the great barrier reef and French Polynesia

We surveyed 14 individuals of Tylosurus crocodilus Péron & Lesueur 1821 (Belonidae) collected from the waters around Lizard Island and Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, and the waters around Moorea, French Polynesia. We describe two new species of bucephaline trematodes from them, Prosorhynchoides galaktionovi n. sp. and P. kohnae n. sp. They are morphologically distinct from existing Prosorhynchoides spp., with molecular data from 28S and ITS-2 ribosomal DNA, as well as cox1 mitochondrial DNA, further supporting our morphological findings. Neither species has been observed in other belonid fishes. The new species fall into the clade of species of Prosorhynchoides from belonids previously identified in Australian waters. These findings strengthen the observation that groups of bucephaline species have radiated, at least in part, in tight association with host taxa. There are now five species of Prosorhynchoides known from two belonid species in Australian waters. We, therefore, predict further richness in the nine other belonid species present