Analysts’ Dynamic Decisions: Timeliness versus Accuracy

For analysts there is a tradeoff between the accuracy and the timeliness of their forecasts. Prior literature heavily investigates analyst forecast accuracy. Few papers investigate the importance of timeliness. To our best knowledge, there are no empirical papers to date to investigate the dynamic interplay between these key characteristics. We show that if analysts experience a period of high accuracy relative to their peers, they subsequently focus more on the timeliness of their forecasts in the subsequent period and thus issue their forecasts earlier than they did in the prior period. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Serotype-independent pneumococcal vaccines

Streptococcus pneumoniae remains an important cause of disease with high mortality and morbidity, especially in children and in the elderly. The widespread use of the polysaccharide conjugate vaccines in some countries has led to a significant decrease in invasive disease caused by vaccine serotypes, but an increase in disease caused by non-vaccine serotypes has impacted on the overall efficacy of these vaccines on pneumococcal disease. The obvious solution to overcome such shortcomings would be the development of new formulations that provide serotype-independent immunity. This review focuses on the most promising approaches, including protein antigens, whole cell pneumococcal vaccines, and recombinant bacteria expressing pneumococcal antigens. The protective capacity of these vaccine candidates against the different stages of pneumococcal infection, including colonization, mucosal disease, and invasive disease in animal models is reviewed. Some of the human trials that have already been performed or that are currently ongoing are presented. Finally, the feasibility and the possible shortcomings of these candidates in relation to an ideal vaccine against pneumococcal infections are discussed.     

Tree size and understory phytomass production in a western juniper woodland

Understory phytomass production in a western juniper ( Juniperus occidentalis ) woodland was examined relative to tree size in central Oregon in 1983 and 1984. Vegetation was sampled in two zones, the canopy zone (beneath the canopy) and the intercanopy zone (the space between canopies), on two adjacent sites—a lower slope site with shallow soil and an upper slope site with deeper soil. Sampling was stratified into three tree size classes. Individual species production was significantly affected by tree size and location relative to tree canopy. Production of bottlebrush squirreltail, bluebunch wheatgrass, cheatgrass, miscellaneous annual grasses, perennial forbs, and annual forbs increased with increasing tree size. Sandberg bluegrass production was greater in the intercanopy than the canopy zone, while production of bottlebrush squirreltail, bluebunch wheatgrass, miscellaneous annual grasses, and both perennial and annual forbs was greater in the canopy zone. Production of cheatgrass was determined by the interaction of tree size and zone. Phytomass relationships were expressed to a greater degree on the upper slope site, where total production exceeded that of the lower slope site by approximately 50% the second year of the study. Individual trees appear to exert a great influence on associated vegetation as western juniper woodlands progress from the seedling (tree establishment) phase to closed stands of mature trees. Original community dominants appear to be spatially segregated beneath tree canopies and associated with large trees, while formerly less common species, such as cheatgrass, come to dominate the entire site.     

A species comparison of 2,4-dinitrotoluene metabolism in vitro.

Postmitochondrial supernatants prepared from livers of mice, rats, rabbits, dogs, and monkeys metabolized 2,4-dinitrotulene. The pattern of metabolites was characterized in both sexes of the species examined. In addition, the pattern of metabolites was altered by varying incubation conditions and pretreating male rats with phenobarbital or SKF 525-A.     

Detection of marijuana smoke in the atmosphere of a room

Zusammenfassung Mit einer Analysenmethode gelingt es, Marijuanarauch von einer Zigarette oder weniger durch Kombination von Anreicherungsverfahren mit hochauflösender Gaschromatographie in Zimmerluft nachzuweisen. Charakteristische Profile von 200 bis 300 Komponenten (darunter Cannabinoide), die sich deutlich von denen von Tabakrauch unterscheiden, wurden mit Hilfe von Glaskapillarsäulen gewonnen.