Smaller Gain Research Articles

Party Realignment, Education, and the Turnout Advantage: Revisiting the Partisan Effect of Turnout

Party realignment is occurring along the lines of education in the United States. As college-educated voters increasingly align with the Democratic Party, it is necessary to revisit the partisan effect of turnout. We predict that, since 2016, the Democratic Party no longer benefits from higher turnout. Using validated voter turnout from the Cooperative Election Study (CES), we simulate election results across turnout rates for the 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections. Our findings show that increases in turnout greatly benefit the Democratic Party in the pre-Trump era. However, this pattern has drastically changed. In 2016, 2018, and 2020, the Democratic Party sees a much smaller gain in vote share as simulated turnout increases, but also a large vote share advantage when voter turnout is extremely low. These results indicate that continued party realignment along the lines of education could lead to a persistent reversal in the expected partisan effect of turnout—where Democrats perform better in low-turnout local or primary elections and Republicans perform better in high-turnout general elections.

Efficacy of Acellular Dermal Matrix Versus Connective Tissue Graft for Root Coverage in Patients with Gingival Recession: A Meta-Analysis.

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of acellular dermal matrix (ADM) versus connective tissue graft (CTG) for root coverage in patients with gingival recession. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the comparison of ADM with CTG in adult patients with gingival recession were searched in multiple databases updated on 15th May 2020. The quality of studies was evaluated using the upgraded Jadad scale. Included studies were assessed for percent root coverage (PRC), clinical attachment level (CAL), keratinized tissue (KT), probing depth (PD), recession width (RW) and recession depth (RD). Weighted mean difference (WMD) was used as the statistics for measurement data and the effect sizes were expressed as 95% confidence intervals (CI). Totally 24 RCTs were eligible for the final analysis. The patients accepting ADM had a higher gain in CAL (WMD: 0.250, 95%CI: 0.030-0.470, P=0.026) but a smaller gain in KT width (WMD: -0.440, 95%CI: -0.629--0.252, P<0.001) than those receiving CTG. No significant differences were found between the patients accepting ADM and those undergoing CTG in PRC (WMD: -1.608, 95%CI: -3.491-0.275, P=0.094), PD (WMD: 0.066, 95%CI: -0.005-0.137, P=0.067), RW (WMD: 0.065, 95%CI: -0.098-0.228, P=0.437) and RD (WMD: 0.109, 95%CI: -0.095-0.314, P=0.294). Overall, the ADM treatment for patients with gingival recession may be superior to CTG in gaining CAL, but CTG has a significant advantage over ADM in gaining KT width.

Lung diffusion capacity correlates with pre-implant pulmonary hypertension and predicts outcome after LVAD implantation.

Diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO ) reduction is common in heart failure (HF) and is associated with a worse prognosis. Correlations between DLCO and pulmonary hypertension (PH) are unclear, and published data are conflicting; it has been shown that DLCO impairment may persist or even worsen after normalization of pulmonary pressures following left ventricle assist device (LVAD) implantation, maybe reflecting persistent pulmonary damage. We aimed to investigate the impact of pre-implant DLCO and central haemodynamics on outcome in patients with advanced HF implanted with a LVAD. We retrospectively analysed pre-implant and post-implant data from 42 patients implanted with a LVAD at our institution. Out of 42 patients, 35 had post-capillary PH before implantation, including 17 with combined post- and pre-capillary PH (Cpc-PH). Median DLCO was 59% (IQR 47-68%), and it inversely correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) (P 0.037) and diastolic pulmonary gradient (DPG) (P 0.042). Compared with baseline, LVAD resulted in improvement in LV diameter (LVDd, P<0.001), mitral regurgitation (P 0.022), and PH (mPAP 24 vs. 36mmHg, P<0.001; PAWP 12 vs. 23mmHg, P 0.001; pulmonary artery compliance, CPA 3.1 vs. 1.9mL/mmHg, P 0.021). Lower DLCO and Cpc-PH at baseline were associated with a better LV reverse remodelling post-implantation (P 0.027 for LVDd) but also with a smaller gain in CPA (P 0.049). Before LVAD implantation, DLCO impairment is associated with higher PVR and DPG, suggesting that it might be an expression of persistent pulmonary damage occurring in Cpc-PH. After LVAD implantation, both LV dimension and haemodynamics improve. Lower pre-implant DLCO is associated with better LV reverse remodelling.

On the receptivity of low-pressure turbine blades to external disturbances

In the present work, the laminar–turbulent transition of the flow evolving around a low-pressure turbine blade has been investigated. Direct numerical simulations have been carried out for two different free stream turbulence intensity (FSTI) levels to investigate the role of free stream oscillations on the evolution of the blade boundary layer. Emphasis is placed on identifying the mechanisms driving the formation and breakup of coherent structures in the high FSTI case and how these processes are affected by the leading-edge receptivity and/or by the continuous forcing in the blade passage. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) has been adopted to provide a clear statistical representation of the shape of the structures. Extended POD projections provided temporal and spanwise correlations that allowed us to identify dominant temporal structures and spanwise wavelengths in the transition process. The extended POD analysis shows that the structures on the pressure side are not related to what happens at the leading edge. The results on the suction side show that the modes defining the leading edge and the passage bases correlate with coherent structures responsible for the transition. The most energetic mode of the passage basis is strongly related to the most amplified wavelength in the boundary layer and breakup events leading to transition. Modes with a smaller spanwise wavelength belong to the band predicted by optimal disturbance theory, they amplify with a smaller gain in the rear suction side, and they show the highest degree of correlation between the passage region and the rear suction side.

Abstract EP48: Long Term Improvement In Cardiorespiratory Fitness Ameliorates Insulin Sensitivity Beyond The Response Of Visceral/Ectopic Fat In Viscerally Obese Men

Introduction: The SYNERGIE study has documented the effects on the cardiometabolic risk (CMR) profile of a 1-year lifestyle intervention targeting physical activity (PA) and diet followed by an additional 2-year maintenance period in a sample of 144 men with visceral obesity and an atherogenic dyslipidemia. Previously published results, following the 1-year intervention, had reported significant improvements in CMR markers and a decrease in intramuscular lipids assessed by computed tomography (CT) using the area of low attenuation muscle (LAM) as a marker. However, following the 2-year maintenance period, a slight deterioration of CMR markers including visceral adiposity (VAT) was observed, with the exception of circulating insulin levels. Hypothesis: In this secondary analysis, we tested the hypothesis that variations in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and LAM could explain the long-term improvement in insulin sensitivity indices. Methods: Anthropometric measurements and an oral glucose tolerance test were performed at 0, 1 and 3 years, as well as a submaximal exercise test to assess CRF. Areas and volume of VAT and areas of LAM at mid-thigh and L4-L5 (psoas and core) were measured by CT. Participants were classified into two groups based on CRF changes observed during the 2-year maintenance period: CRF increased (CRF+) and CRF decreased (CRF-). Results: Complete data were available in a subsample of 72 men (52±8 years). Mean annual PA decreased from 143 min/week during the intervention to 103 min/week after the 2-year maintenance period (p&lt;0.05). CRF changes during the maintenance period were negatively correlated with changes in psoas LAM area (r=-0.31; p&lt;0.01) and core LAM area (r=-0.30; p&lt;0.05). Changes in psoas LAM area (r=0.29; p&lt;0.05) and core LAM area (r=0.35; p&lt;0.01) were also correlated with changes in insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The CRF+ group showed a greater decrease in HOMA-IR than the CRF- group (p&lt;0.05). CRF was found to limit the deterioration of the CMR profile observed during the 2-year maintenance period (smaller gain in BMI, waist circumference, VAT volume, and LAM at the psoas; p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: Despite some gain in VAT observed during the 2-year maintenance period following the initial 1-year lifestyle intervention, participants who were able to maintain or even increase their CRF during the 2-year maintenance period were those whose insulin sensitivity continued to improve, regardless of the changes in LAM. In conclusion, these results are consistent with the importance of targeting CRF for the long-term management of CMR in men with visceral obesity.

Benefits and harms of annual, biennial, or triennial breast cancer mammography screening for women at average risk of breast cancer: a systematic review for the European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer (ECIBC)

BackgroundAlthough mammography screening is recommended in most European countries, the balance between the benefits and harms of different screening intervals is still a matter of debate. This review informed the European Commission Initiative on Breast Cancer (BC) recommendations.MethodsWe searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library to identify RCTs, observational or modelling studies, comparing desirable (BC deaths averted, QALYs, BC stage, interval cancer) and undesirable (overdiagnosis, false positive related, radiation related) effects from annual, biennial, or triennial mammography screening in women of average risk for BC. We assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach.ResultsWe included one RCT, 13 observational, and 11 modelling studies. In women 50–69, annual compared to biennial screening may have small additional benefits but an important increase in false positive results; triennial compared to biennial screening may have smaller benefits while avoiding some harms. In younger women (aged 45–49), annual compared to biennial screening had a smaller gain in benefits and larger harms, showing a less favourable balance in this age group than in women 50–69. In women 70–74, there were fewer additional harms and similar benefits with shorter screening intervals. The overall certainty of the evidence for each of these comparisons was very low.ConclusionsIn women of average BC risk, screening intervals have different trade-offs for each age group. The balance probably favours biennial screening in women 50–69. In younger women, annual screening may have a less favourable balance, while in women aged 70–74 years longer screening intervals may be more favourable.

Active Individual Nanoresonators Optimized for Lasing and Spasing Operation.

Plasmonic nanoresonators consisting of a gold nanorod and a spherical silica core and gold shell, both coated with a gain layer, were optimized to maximize the stimulated emission in the near-field (NF-c-type) and the outcoupling into the far-field (FF-c-type) and to enter into the spasing operation region (NF-c*-type). It was shown that in the case of a moderate dye concentration, the nanorod has more advantages: smaller lasing threshold and larger slope efficiency and larger achieved intensities in the near-field in addition to FF-c-type systems’ smaller gain and outflow threshold, earlier dip-to-peak switching in the spectrum and slightly larger far-field outcoupling efficiency. However, the near-field (far-field) bandwidth is smaller for NF-c-type (FF-c-type) core–shell nanoresonators. In the case of a larger dye concentration (NF-c*-type), although the slope efficiency and near-field intensity remain larger for the nanorod, the core–shell nanoresonator is more advantageous, considering the smaller lasing, outflow, absorption and extinction cross-section thresholds and near-field bandwidth as well as the significantly larger internal and external quantum efficiencies. It was also shown that the strong-coupling of time-competing plasmonic modes accompanies the transition from lasing to spasing occurring, when the extinction cross-section crosses zero. As a result of the most efficient enhancement in the forward direction, the most uniform far-field distribution was achieved.

Threshold Level of Inflation – Concept and Measurement

Threshold inflation that maximizes long-term growth in an economy is dependent on fiscal deficit (FD) and current account deficit (CAD). Since the existing empirical literature on threshold inflation lacks a robust theoretical framework, the present study considers the theory developed by Dholakia (2020) to estimate threshold inflation that maximizes steady state growth (SSG). Based on an appropriate degree of polynomial for investment rate and capital productivity with a cross-country data set of 58 countries for the period 1995 to 2018, the study broadly confirms higher threshold inflation with higher growth in emerging market economies as compared to the advanced economies. By introducing country-specific intercept and selected slope dummies, the study finds that the threshold inflation for India is around 6 per cent. An important finding of the study is that the long run trade-off between inflation and SSG is asymmetric such that a reduction in inflation rate leads to a much smaller gain in the long-term growth when inflation is higher than threshold compared to when inflation is lower and rises towards the threshold level. Also, the threshold inflation and corresponding growth are not unique for a country but depend on the other two parameters – FD/GDP and CAD/GDP. Policymakers may choose to set the inflation target below the threshold level only after considering the costs of sacrificing growth and implied poverty alleviation rate with likely benefits in terms of the distributional and financial stability implications which are not examined in this study.

Age-Related Decline in Children's Reward Sensitivity: Blacks' Diminished Returns.

It is important to study the correlates of reward sensitivity since it predicts high-risk behaviors. While ageing reduces children's reward sensitivity and its associated risk taking, there is more to find out about racial differences in regard to the effect of age on reward sensitivity. Minorities' Diminished Returns (MDRs) suggest that resources and assets show weaker effects on Black children than White children. We compared White children to Black children as for the effects of age on reward sensitivity. This cross-sectional study included 10533 American children who participated in the baseline of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The independent variable was age, while the dependent variable was reward sensitivity as captured by the behavioral approach/behavioral avoidance system (BAS-BIS). Gender, parental education, marital status, parental education, and household income were the covariates. Higher age was associated with less reward sensitivity. A significant interaction was found between race and age when it comes to children's reward sensitivity. It suggested that age is associated with a smaller gain in terms of reduced reward sensitivity in Black children than White children. Age is more likely to reduce reward sensitivity in White children than Black children. This finding is in line with MDRs, and may be due to social racism, segregation, stratification, and discrimination.

Coupled Thermo–Hydro–Mechanical Modeling of Hydro-Shearing Stimulation in an Enhanced Geothermal System in the Raft River Geothermal Field, USA

The Raft River Enhanced Geothermal System (EGS) demonstration project aims to improve the geothermal production by enhancing the reservoir permeability via shear stimulation in well RRG-9. In this paper, we performed a series of 3D thermo–hydro–mechanical (THM) simulations to investigate the influence of hydraulic and thermal effects on the development of this EGS. The model includes synthetic fracture populations based on borehole televiewer images and in-situ stress measurements from well RRG-9. Fracture permeability evolution is determined using an empirical permeability law developed from laboratory experiments. The model was calibrated by comparing the hydraulic response to field observations, including wellhead pressure, injection rate, and well injectivity. Particularly, we analyzed the enhancement of reservoir permeability and the spatial extent of the stimulation zone for the given injection schedule. Our results indicate that the permeability enhancement of fractured geothermal reservoir is caused by the combined effects of injection-induced cooling and fluid pressure increase. The decrease of temperature plays a dominant role in reactivation of natural fractures under the hydro-shearing mechanism, while the higher injection pressure promotes shear failure and enlarges the stimulation zone. For the specified extensional stress state, the model favors greatest permeability enhancement along the maximum horizontal principal stress, a moderate vertical enhancement, and a smaller gain along the minimum horizontal principal stress.

Bank globalization and efficiency: Host- and home-country effects

Analyzing 126 countries for 1995–2013, we investigate the link between bank globalization and efficiency from the perspective of both host and home countries. We find strong and consistent evidence that foreign bank entry is associated with lower efficiency in host countries (host-country effect), while foreign expansion in the banking sector improves the efficiency of banks at home (home-country effect). We further observe that the effect of bank globalization is dependent on the regulatory and institutional regimes of the respective host (home) countries. Specifically, stringent activity restrictions, tight supervision, fewer limitations on foreign banks, lower market entry barriers, and less government interference all help mitigate the efficiency loss from foreign bank entry. Less supervision power, multiple supervisors, more restrictions on foreign banks, and a competitive banking market are all conducive to the higher efficiency gain of incumbent domestic banks from the respective country’s outward investments in the banking sector. Moreover, we find that the adverse impact on efficiency from foreign bank presence is less pronounced for less risky, more profitable, and larger banks, while banks that are more efficient, more profitable, taking on more risk, and/or smaller gain more efficiency from their country’s foreign expansion.

Finger Metallization Using Pattern Transfer Printing Technology for c-Si Solar Cell

Front metallization of crystalline silicon solar cells requires smaller finger lines in order to collect the generated current from the active area efficiently. Pattern transfer printing (PTP) technology enables finger widths down to 20 μm and aspect ratios above 0.6 using thick film silver paste. This work investigates the influence of PTP process parameters, i.e., laser power and trench geometry, on the finger geometry and the print quality. Silver fingers obtained from four different trench geometries were analyzed and the electrical parameters of corresponding printed solar cells were compared with standard screen-printed solar cells. We observed a strong dependence of the finger aspect ratio and the amount of debris on the laser power that was used during the transfer process. Each trench geometry requires a different laser power, which is related to the ratio between the circumference and the horizontal interface of the trench. Despite a modest FF loss due to higher series resistance, a significant gain in Jsc and a smaller gain in Voc increased the cell efficiency by 0.12%abs for the best group of PTP-printed cells compared with the reference screen-printed cells. Importantly, the amount of silver required was reduced by 54% compared with the screen-printed reference.

Prediction of individualized lifetime benefit from cholesterol lowering, blood pressure lowering, antithrombotic therapy, and smoking cessation in apparently healthy people.

The benefit an individual can expect from preventive therapy varies based on risk-factor burden, competing risks, and treatment duration. We developed and validated the LIFEtime-perspective CardioVascular Disease (LIFE-CVD) model for the estimation of individual-level 10 years and lifetime treatment-effects of cholesterol lowering, blood pressure lowering, antithrombotic therapy, and smoking cessation in apparently healthy people. Model development was conducted in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (n = 6715) using clinical predictors. The model consists of two complementary Fine and Gray competing-risk adjusted left-truncated subdistribution hazard functions: one for hard cardiovascular disease (CVD)-events, and one for non-CVD mortality. Therapy-effects were estimated by combining the functions with hazard ratios from preventive therapy trials. External validation was performed in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (n = 9250), Heinz Nixdorf Recall (n = 4177), and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (n = 25833), and Norfolk (n = 23548) studies. Calibration of the LIFE-CVD model was good and c-statistics were 0.67-0.76. The output enables the comparison of short-term vs. long-term therapy-benefit. In two people aged 45 and 70 with otherwise identical risk-factors, the older patient has a greater 10-year absolute risk reduction (11.3% vs. 1.0%) but a smaller gain in life-years free of CVD (3.4 vs. 4.5 years) from the same therapy. The model was developed into an interactive online calculator available via www.U-Prevent.com. The model can accurately estimate individual-level prognosis and treatment-effects in terms of improved 10-year risk, lifetime risk, and life-expectancy free of CVD. The model is easily accessible and can be used to facilitate personalized-medicine and doctor-patient communication.

Perceptual Doping: An Audiovisual Facilitation Effect on Auditory Speech Processing, From Phonetic Feature Extraction to Sentence Identification in Noise.

We have previously shown that the gain provided by prior audiovisual (AV) speech exposure for subsequent auditory (A) sentence identification in noise is relatively larger than that provided by prior A speech exposure. We have called this effect "perceptual doping." Specifically, prior AV speech processing dopes (recalibrates) the phonological and lexical maps in the mental lexicon, which facilitates subsequent phonological and lexical access in the A modality, separately from other learning and priming effects. In this article, we use data from the n200 study and aim to replicate and extend the perceptual doping effect using two different A and two different AV speech tasks and a larger sample than in our previous studies. The participants were 200 hearing aid users with bilateral, symmetrical, mild-to-severe sensorineural hearing loss. There were four speech tasks in the n200 study that were presented in both A and AV modalities (gated consonants, gated vowels, vowel duration discrimination, and sentence identification in noise tasks). The modality order of speech presentation was counterbalanced across participants: half of the participants completed the A modality first and the AV modality second (A1-AV2), and the other half completed the AV modality and then the A modality (AV1-A2). Based on the perceptual doping hypothesis, which assumes that the gain of prior AV exposure will be relatively larger relative to that of prior A exposure for subsequent processing of speech stimuli, we predicted that the mean A scores in the AV1-A2 modality order would be better than the mean A scores in the A1-AV2 modality order. We therefore expected a significant difference in terms of the identification of A speech stimuli between the two modality orders (A1 versus A2). As prior A exposure provides a smaller gain than AV exposure, we also predicted that the difference in AV speech scores between the two modality orders (AV1 versus AV2) may not be statistically significantly different. In the gated consonant and vowel tasks and the vowel duration discrimination task, there were significant differences in A performance of speech stimuli between the two modality orders. The participants' mean A performance was better in the AV1-A2 than in the A1-AV2 modality order (i.e., after AV processing). In terms of mean AV performance, no significant difference was observed between the two orders. In the sentence identification in noise task, a significant difference in the A identification of speech stimuli between the two orders was observed (A1 versus A2). In addition, a significant difference in the AV identification of speech stimuli between the two orders was also observed (AV1 versus AV2). This finding was most likely because of a procedural learning effect due to the greater complexity of the sentence materials or a combination of procedural learning and perceptual learning due to the presentation of sentential materials in noisy conditions. The findings of the present study support the perceptual doping hypothesis, as prior AV relative to A speech exposure resulted in a larger gain for the subsequent processing of speech stimuli. For complex speech stimuli that were presented in degraded listening conditions, a procedural learning effect (or a combination of procedural learning and perceptual learning effects) also facilitated the identification of speech stimuli, irrespective of whether the prior modality was A or AV.

Educational Attainment Better Protects African American Women than African American Men Against Depressive Symptoms and Psychological Distress.

Background: Recent research has shown smaller health effects of socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as education attainment for African Americans as compared to whites. However, less is known about diminished returns based on gender within African Americans. Aim: To test whether among African American men are at a relative disadvantage compared to women in terms of having improved mental health as a result of their education attainment. This study thus explored gender differences in the association between education attainment and mental health, using a representative sample of American adults. Methods: The National Survey of American Life (NSAL; 2003) recruited 3570 African American adults (2299 females and 1271 males). The dependent variables were depressive symptoms and psychological distress. The independent variable was education attainment. Race was the focal moderator. Age, employment status, and marital status were covariates. Linear regressions were used for data analysis. Results: In the pooled sample that included both male and female African American adults, high education attainment was associated with lower depressive symptoms and psychological distress, net of covariates. Significant interactions were found between gender and education attainment with effects on depressive symptoms and psychological distress, suggesting stronger protective effects of high education attainment against depressive symptoms and psychological distress for female as compared to male African Americans. Conclusion: A smaller gain in mental health with respect to educational attainment for male African American males as compared to African American females is in line with studies showing high risk of depression in African American men of high-socioeconomic status. High-SES African American men need screening for depression and psychological distress.

Torsional vibration control of drill-string systems with time-varying measurement delays

This paper is concerned with torsional vibration control of drill-string systems. The objective is to develop a delay-dependent control scheme such that the downhole vibrations can be minimized by using ground measurement output with time-varying measurement delays. By regarding a drill-string as a series of lumped masses, a state space model is derived from a generic multi-degree-of-freedom model of the drill-string through a variable transformation. This provides the foundation of an observer-based output feedback control system, in which an internal model is inserted to represent the drill rig for improving the tracking performance, and a state observer is combined with a low-pass filter to estimate an equivalent effect of the downhole bit-rock interaction in the control input channel. To calculate the parameters of this control system, some sufficient conditions are derived in terms of linear-matrix-inequalities by taking into account a refined allowable delay set. It is shown through a numerical example that (i) the measurement of rotary table’s angular displacement helps to produce less conservative results and (ii) a small measurement delay is beneficial for designing a controller with a smaller gain in the sense of Euclidean norm, however it may also result in a larger control torque by enhancing the bit-rock interaction.

Predictors of Sensitivity to Perceptual Learning in Children With Infantile Nystagmus

To identify predictors of sensitivity to perceptual learning on a computerized, near-threshold letter discrimination task in children with infantile nystagmus (idiopathic IN: n = 18; oculocutaneous albinism accompanied by IN: n = 18). Children were divided into two age-, acuity-, and diagnosis-matched training groups: a crowded (n = 18) and an uncrowded training group (n = 18). Training consisted of 10 sessions spread out over 5 weeks (grand total of 3500 trials). Baseline performance, age, diagnosis, training condition, and perceived pleasantness of training (training joy) were entered as linear regression predictors of training-induced changes on a single- and a crowded-letter task. An impressive 57% of the variability in improvements of single-letter visual acuity was explained by age, training condition, and training joy. Being older and training with uncrowded letters were associated with larger single-letter visual acuity improvements. More training joy was associated with a larger gain from the uncrowded training and a smaller gain from the crowded training. Fifty-six percent of the variability in crowded-letter task improvements was explained by baseline performance, age, diagnosis, and training condition. After regressing out the variability induced by training condition, baseline performance, and age, perceptual learning proved more effective for children with idiopathic IN than for children with albinism accompanied by IN. Training gains increased with poorer baseline performance in idiopaths, but not in children with albinism accompanied by IN. Age and baseline performance, but not training joy, are important prognostic factors for the effect of perceptual learning in children with IN. However, their predictive value for achieving improvements in single-letter acuity and crowded letter acuity, respectively, differs between diagnostic subgroups and training condition. These findings may help with personalized treatment of individuals likely to benefit from perceptual learning.

Risk taking after absolute and relative wealth changes: The role of reference point adaptation

We conducted an experiment to compare subjects’ attitudes toward risk before and after they experienced wealth changes induced by a real-effort task. We identified and estimated the subjects’ levels of reference point adaptation to absolute and relative wealth changes. We found that after experiencing a larger loss than others, the subjects did not completely adapt their reference points to the absolute wealth loss and the relative negative wealth gap, and thus significantly increased their risk-taking behavior. However, the subjects also did not adjust their attitudes toward risk after experiencing a smaller loss than others, a smaller gain than others, or a larger gain than others. This may be because they promptly adapted to wealth changes or because they did not adapt to wealth changes but the effects of absolute and relative wealth changes mostly offset each other.

Large-mode-volume multiwaveguide distributed feedback resonator

We propose a multiwaveguide cavity which can significantly enlarge the mode volume of distributed feedback (DFB) cavity without increasing the cavity length. The cavity is constructed by combining λ/4 shifted DFB cavity with contra-directional couplers. Different from single-waveguide DFB cavity, the resonant mode is oscillating in multiple waveguides. A smaller threshold gain density is also obtained compared to single-waveguide DFB cavity. Theory model of the multiwaveguide cavity is established and finite-difference time-domain simulation is performed to verify the model.

Europe

GDP growth is likely to have slowed after a healthy 0.6% gain in Q1. For now, we expect a 0.3% rise in Q2, but our GDP indicator suggests an even smaller gain.