Sheltering Corporate Assets from Political Extraction

We hypothesize that firms structure their asset holdings so as to shelter assets from extraction by politicians and bureaucrats. In countries where the threat of political extraction is higher, we hypothesize that firms hold a lower fraction of their assets in liquid form. Consistent with this conjecture, using data for over 30,000 firms across 109 countries, we find that corporate holdings of liquid assets are negatively correlated with measures of political corruption. Further, annual investment in property, plant, equipment, and inventory plus dividends is positively correlated with measures of political corruption suggesting that owners channel their cash into harder to extract assets. To the extent that the threat of political extraction moves firms away from their otherwise optimal levels of liquid assets, our findings suggest that the threat of political extraction may reduce economic development not only through the direct costs of political payoffs, but also because the potential for asset extraction moves firms away from their otherwise optimal asset holdings.

Introduction: Audio/Visual

“A/V” seems to belong to the always-already obsolete. Even at the height of the craze for “audiovisual aids” in the mid-twentieth century, its association with the humble schoolroom and the “A/V geek” gave the acronym an air of the outmoded. Overtaken, in quick succession, by “multimedia” and “new media” at the end of the century, the audiovisual seems all the more rudimentary, remedial rather than remediated, or simply a minor component of larger media systems

How fMRI Can Inform Cognitive Theories

How can functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) advance cognitive theory? Some have argued that fMRI can do little beyond localizing brain regions that carry out certain cognitive functions (and may not even be able to do that). However, in this article, we argue that fMRI can inform theories of cognition by helping to answer at least four distinct kinds of questions. Which mental functions are performed in brain regions specialized for just that function (and which are performed in more general-purpose brain machinery)? When fMRI markers of a particular Mental Process X are found, is Mental Process X engaged when people perform Task Y? How distinct are the representations of different stimulus classes? Do specific pairs of tasks engage common or distinct processing mechanisms? Thus, fMRI data can be used to address theoretical debates that have nothing to do with where in the brain a particular process is carried out

Modelling the geographical distribution of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Bolivia

The prevalence of infection with the three common soil-transmitted helminths (i.e. Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworm) in Bolivia is among the highest in Latin America. However, the spatial distribution and burden of soil-transmitted helminthiasis are poorly documented.; We analysed historical survey data using Bayesian geostatistical models to identify determinants of the distribution of soil-transmitted helminth infections, predict the geographical distribution of infection risk, and assess treatment needs and costs in the frame of preventive chemotherapy. Rigorous geostatistical variable selection identified the most important predictors of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm transmission.; Results show that precipitation during the wettest quarter above 400 mm favours the distribution of A. lumbricoides. Altitude has a negative effect on T. trichiura. Hookworm is sensitive to temperature during the coldest month. We estimate that 38.0%, 19.3%, and 11.4% of the Bolivian population is infected with A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, and hookworm, respectively. Assuming independence of the three infections, 48.4% of the population is infected with any soil-transmitted helminth. Empirical-based estimates, according to treatment recommendations by the World Health Organization, suggest a total of 2.9 million annualised treatments for the control of soil-transmitted helminthiasis in Bolivia.; We provide estimates of soil-transmitted helminth infections in Bolivia based on high-resolution spatial prediction and an innovative variable selection approach. However, the scarcity of the data suggests that a national survey is required for more accurate mapping that will govern spatial targeting of soil-transmitted helminthiasis control

Pro-poor sewerage: solids modelling for design optimization.

More than 2·8 billion people still live without adequate sanitation. ‘Simplified sewerage’ is one possible solution, offering the possibility of an appropriate scale for urban sanitation. Adoption of such systems requires the range of engineering and advocacy tools erstwhile only available in developed countries. The application of small-bore solid transport system models is wholly appropriate for simplified sewerage, but modifications are required to account for the shallow gradients and the likely accumulation of solids due to low water usage. The importance of local water flow depth on drain self-cleansing where large accumulated solids are present has been identified, and the solid movement threshold has been quantified for a range of expected gross accumulated solids. These modifications, together with improved solid deposition predictions, have contributed to the development of a robust model suitable for application to simplified sewerage systems in order to improve efficiency and optimise design. </jats:p

Realization of Coherent Optically Dense Media via Buffer-Gas Cooling

We demonstrate that buffer-gas cooling combined with laser ablation can be used to create coherent optical media with high optical depth and low Doppler broadening that offers metastable states with low collisional and motional decoherence. Demonstration of this generic technique opens pathways to coherent optics with a large variety of atoms and molecules. We use helium buffer gas to cool 87Rb atoms to below 7 K and slow atom diffusion to the walls. Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in this medium allows for 50% transmission in a medium with initial OD >70 and for slow pulse propagation with large delay-bandwidth products. In the high-OD regime, we observe high-contrast spectrum oscillations due to efficient four-wave mixing.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures. V2: modified title, abstract, introduction, conclusion; added references; improved theoretical fit in figure 3(b); shortened slow light theory description; clarified simplicity of apparatus. Final version as published in Phys. Rev.

Inter-transcriber reliability for two systems of prosodic annotation: ToBI (Tones and Break Indices) and RaP (Rhythm and Pitch)

Speech researchers often rely on human annotation of prosody to generate data to test hypotheses and generate models. We present an overview of two prosodic annotation systems: ToBI (Tones and Break Indices) (Silverman et al., 1992), and RaP (Rhythm and Pitch) (Dilley & Brown, 2005), which was designed to address several limitations of ToBI. The paper reports two large-scale studies of inter-transcriber reliability for ToBI and RaP. Comparable reliability for both systems was obtained for a variety of prominence- and boundary-related agreement categories. These results help to establish RaP as an alternative to ToBI for research and technology applicationsNational Science Foundation (U.S.) (NSF grant BCS 0847653

MORFOMETRIA E INDICADOR DE ESTABILIZAÇÃO DA FORMA DA CONCHA (IEF) DO MEXILHÃO Mytella charruana (D'ORBIGNY, 1842) (BIVALVE, MYTILIDAE)

The mussel Mytella charruana (d'Orbigny, 1842) – bivalve popularly known as “sururu” –, is an important fishing resource on the North and Northeast coast of Brazil. This study aimed to characterize the morphometric relationships and the shell shape stabilization indicator (IEF) of the M. charruana collected in November 2018 in the Urindeua River (Salinópolis - PA, Eastern Amazon). Altogether, the external measures (length, width and height) of the shell of 460 individuals were obtained, making simple regressions between these measures, subsequently applying a t-Student test to assess the existence of statistical dependence between the variables at a level 95% significance level (α = 0.05) and the IEF was described through ratios between the shell morphometry. The results indicate positive correlations in all morphometric relationships performed, classifying them as "strong" and negative allometric coefficients. In addition, it was found that M. charruana has excellent morphometric relationships, which makes it possible to estimate the external measures of the shell of the species and, based on the IEF, there is a smooth stabilization in the shape of the shell throughout its growth. In addition, this study will serve as a basis for the morphometric standardization of mytilids, considering the largest dimension of the shell as its total length. Studies related to the population dynamics of M. charruana are recommended, aiming at a future cultivation of the species in consortium with the cultivation of oysters already practiced in the region.Keywords: Amazon; Bivalve mollusk; Morphology; Morphometric aspects.O mexilhão Mytella charruana (d'Orbigny, 1842) - bivalve conhecido popularmente por “sururu” –, é um importante recurso pesqueiro no litoral Norte e Nordeste do Brasil. Neste estudo objetivou-se caracterizar as relações morfométricas e o indicador de estabilização da forma (IEF) da concha de M. charruana coletadas em novembro de 2018 no rio Urindeua (Salinópolis – PA, Amazônia Oriental). Ao todo, foram obtidas as medidas externas (comprimento, largura e altura) da concha de 460 indivíduos, efetuando-se regressões simples entre essas medidas, aplicando posteriormente um teste t-Student para avaliar a existência de dependência estatística entre as variáveis a um nível de significância de 95 % (α = 0,05) e descreveu-se o IEF através de razões entre a morfometria da concha. Os resultados indicam correlações positivas em todas as relações morfométricas realizadas, classificando-as como “fortes” e alometrias negativas. Além disso, verificou-se que M. charruana apresenta excelentes relações morfométricas, o que possibilita a estimação das medidas externas da concha da espécie e, com base no IEF, destaca-se uma suave estabilização no formato da concha ao longo de seu crescimento. Adicionalmente, este estudo servirá como base para a padronização morfométricas de mitilídeos, considerando a maior dimensão da concha como o seu comprimento total. Recomenda-se estudos relacionados a dinâmica populacional de M. charruana, almejando um futuro cultivo da espécie em consórcio com o cultivo de ostras já praticado na região.Palavras-chave: Amazônia, Molusco bivalve, Morfologia, Aspectos morfométricos