135 research outputs found
Essays in Finance and Macroeconomics: Household Financial Obligations and the Equity Premium
Get PDFabstract: This dissertation is a collection of three essays relating household financial obligations to asset prices. Financial obligations include both debt payments and other financial commitments.
In the first essay, I investigate how household financial obligations affect the equity premium. I modify the standard Mehra-Prescott (1985) consumption-based asset pricing model to resolve the equity risk premium puzzle. I focus on two channels: the preference channel and the borrowing constraints channel. Under reasonable parameterizations, my model generates equity risk premiums similar in magnitudes to those observed in U.S. data. Furthermore, I show that relaxing the borrowing constraint shrinks the equity risk premium.
In the Second essay, I test the predictability of excess market returns using the household financial obligations ratio. I show that deviations in the household financial obligations ratio from its long-run mean is a better forecaster of future market returns than alternative prediction variables. The results remain significant using either quarterly or annual data and are robust to out-of-sample tests.
In the third essay, I investigate whether the risk associated with household financial obligations is an economy-wide risk with the potential to explain fluctuations in the cross-section of stock returns. The multifactor model I propose, is a modification of the capital asset pricing model that includes the financial obligations ratio as a ``conditioning down" variable. The key finding is that there is an aggregate hedging demand for securities that pay off in periods characterized by higher levels of financial obligations ratios. The consistent pricing of financial obligations risk with a negative risk premium suggests that the financial obligations ratio acts as a state variable.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Economics 201
A bar and ball attachment prosthesis over osseointegrated implants post mandibular resection
No full textRehabilitation of mandibular resection poses functional, esthetic, and psychological challenges. The deviation and rotation of the mandible toward the resected side leaves the patient with almost no option of chewing. This is aggravated if the patient is edentulous. The case report discussed in this article was an edentulous patient taken up with the primary goal to limit deviation toward resected side and provide a stable and retentive prosthesis to the patient. Two implants were placed anteriorly, splinted with bar and clip supported superstructure. The splinted implants with bar and clip superstructure provided the mandibular prosthesis with retention and some support. A posterior implant was also placed in the region of mandibular first molar on the left side for added support. This provided with a tripod configuration and limited the prosthetic movement of the mandibular prosthesis. This case report highlights an alternate way toward the rehabilitation of edentulous mandible post mandibular resection when surgical reconstruction may not be feasible
The Romanticization of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse in Young Adult Media
No full textabstract: The following creative project defends that, whether intentionally or not, mental illness and substance abuse are inevitably romanticized in young adult media and discusses the dangers of this romanticization. This project is divided into three parts. The first part consists of psychological evaluations of the main characters of two popular, contemporary forms of young adult media, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and Euphoria by Sam Levinson. These evaluations use textual evidence and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to determine what symptoms of psychopathology the characters appear to display. The second part consists of a self-written short story that is meant to accurately depict the life of a young adult struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. This story contains various aesthetic techniques borrowed from the two young adult media forms. The final part consists of an aesthetic statement which discusses in depth the aesthetic techniques employed within the short story, Quicksand by Anisha Mehra. (abstract
Dismantling Entrenched Citadels in LIS: Critical Autoethnographic “Voices” in Resistance and Survival
Get PDFCritical/ethical perspectives in resistance/survival within entrenched social structures in library and information science (LIS) (education/practice) provide potentially valuable opportunities to rectify wrongdoings/promote fairness, justice, and equity (Cooke & Sanchez, 2019; Jaeger et al., 2011). Historically LIS has inherited systemic exclusions, elitism, and social injustices toward diversely construed underserved populations (Jaeger et al., 2015; Mehra, 2022). For example, LIS largely derives its canons of theory and practice from Europe and a white Australasia, overlooking any alternate authority, such as Asian, African, Aboriginal, or other sources (Gray & Mehra, 2021). Anglo/Eurocentricity in LIS also bestows privilege to positivistic/postpositivist research and theorization/abstraction of realities, thereby, marginalizing everyday life experiences or overlooking humanist/interpretive approaches, action research, and other methods (Mehra, 2021). How can LIS gain insights toward balanced growth from those challenging such entrenched mechanisms? Diverse LIS panelists present glimpses of their navigating treacherous paths of entrenched citadels within and beyond the academy. They share critical autoethnographic “voices” towards dismantling entrenched mechanisms broadly immersed in white-IST (white + elitist) American culture (Boylorn & Orbe, 2020, Giroux & McLaren, 1986; Mehra and Gray, 2020). The panel marks a homage to Audre Lorde’s (1984) essay “The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” and extends its argument that for implementing social justice against racism (and other isms: sexism, heterosexism, ageism, ablism, etc.), it is urgent to dismantle the foundational structures that facilitate their operationalization (Mehra, 2024).
The goal of this panel is to identify past/current entrenched dysfunctions experienced in LIS and strategies to dismantle systemic structures in pursuit of social justice. The following panelists give brief talks leading to audience reflections on issues related to the presented concerns:
Vanessa Irvin (“Becoming and Being \u27Better\u27 in the LIS Academy”): LIS practitioner inquiry is a stance that asks, “How can I contribute my best research in the field? How can I bring my best teaching to students?” This talk explores what it means to become “better” as entrenched in an ongoing quest to present our authentic selves as librarian educators (Lytle, 2008). However, with librarianship being a field whose racist heritage remains unreconciled, practitioner inquiry often feels like a self-preservative response to the -isms (Irvin, 2019) rather than a stance of collegiality that is reflective, inclusive, and contributory to our field’s discourse.
Kimberly Black (“Can LIS Education be Decolonized?”): This talk shares a response from the perspective of a person who led a successful effort to gain initial ALA accreditation at a Predominantly Black Institution. My experience with the process led to the (unsurprising) understanding that accreditors/professional associations like ALA are “captured” elite organizations, enabling the socially advantaged to gain control over benefits meant for everyone, and functioning to colonize and preserve the status of the colonizers (Alessandrini, 2023; Táíwò, 2022). Postsecondary education accreditation (including in LIS) is an inherently colonizing and political process in higher education – it is an integral part of the infrastructure of the citadel.
Kaurri C. Williams-Cockfield (“From the Funding Trenches: A Public Library Director’s Conundrum”): This presentation focuses on my personal experiences serving as the public library director in Blount County, TN, during a contentious funding battle over library staff longevity pay. I narrate advocating for staff raises, petitioning the local government through the EveryLibrary platform, and the fallout given the entrenched misogyny and white male privilege existent in local politics. Deciding to challenge the status quo always comes with consequences, so understanding the political culture and being prepared for any repercussions is vital.
Joseph Winberry (“If We Suffered It Doesn\u27t Mean Our Students Should: Modeling a Critical/Empathetic Doctoral. Education”): It has been estimated that less than 2% of the global population has a doctoral degree. Many others might start the degree but decline to finish, for reasons as benign as simply realizing the degree was not for them. But what if the failure of institutions and individual advisors are to blame for education-related grief and trauma that continues to perpetuate within the academy? This talk draws on the author’s own experience to imagine what critical and empathetic doctoral education might be like and how it can create a better experience for all LIS students going forward.
Africa S. Hands (“Giving Notice”): There’s a saying: “You teach people how to treat you.” These words are not limited to individual interactions. They have relevance for collective bodies, such as professional organizations and faculty bodies. In a collective, these words may be activated to put students on notice regarding how they are expected to treat faculty as a whole or to put reviewers on notice for how they are expected to provide feedback to authors. This talk asks: What does it look like to dismantle white supremacy—from day one—in the classroom, in our professional organizations, and in our journals?
LaVerne Gray (“‘The Matter Is Life’: Black Feminist Narratology/Collectivism in Resistance”): In the 1991 collection of fictional stories about the Black experience (“The matter is life”), author J. California Cooper prophetically situates a movement centered on matter. It is this matter that manifests the space for wisdom centered in narration, storytelling, and life experiences, hallmarks of Black Feminist/Womanists knowledge and resistance. Exploring the collision of matter, life, voice, and lived experience, this talk offers creative autoethnographic tools to layer narratives in the exposition of the perpetual resistance of Black women from personal/observed narratives.
Bharat Mehra (“Deconstructing “One Brick at a Time” in LIS to Dismantle an Entrenched Citadel”): The talk proposes a thematic deconstruction “one brick at a time”, applying Critical Race Theory (CRT), to dismantle systemic, white- centered entrenched power structures in American LIS educational programs immersed in exclusionary academic institutions. This talk integrates individual experiences and identifies foundational units (i.e., bricks) via which racism is maintained by LIS educators/practitioners to implement authentic antiracist praxis.
Structure of the 90-minute session:
Activity
Minutes
Panel introduction (Mehra: Moderator)
2
Seven glimpses (maximum 10 minutes each)
70
Audience reactions
15
Conclusion
3
By the panel conclusion, participants gain understanding of how systemic entrenchment is manifested in LIS and effective strategies to support/empower marginalized experiences
On the Existence and Representation of Equilibrium in an Economy with Growth and Nonstationary Consumption.
No full textIn this paper, the author generalizes R. E. Lucas's asset pricing model to allow for nonstationary consumption. He defines the e quilibrium in this setting and demonstrates its existence and represe ntation as a competitive equilibrium. The author believes that these extensions will facilitate the empirical testing of consumption-based , asset-pricing models in the Lucas-Prescott research tradition. Copyright 1988 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.
Working to improve the fire exhibit at the Australian Aboriginal cultures gallery [AACG]
No full textIn this chapter, Jared Thomas, a Nukunu person from the Southern Flinders Ranges and a Research Fellow at the South Australian Museum and University of South Australia, reflects on his efforts to enhance the Fire Exhibit within the Australian Aboriginal Cultures Gallery [AACG], which has not been updated in 20 years. Thomas draws from an international precedent of involving Indigenous communities in museum displays. The author outlines the limitations of renovations in terms of budget, space, and Indigenous protocols, while considering the potential impact of the proposed Tarrkarri Centre for First Nations Culture. He emphasises the importance of fostering relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples, allowing Indigenous voices to speak for themselves. Thomas focusses on the Fire Exhibit, discussing its significance in Aboriginal culture, the lack of contextualisation, and the need for improved representation. He proposes short-term actions such as adding QR-code-based text for context, and long-term ambitions like incorporating audio-visual and augmented reality elements. He highlights the importance of Aboriginal fire land management practices, especially in the aftermath of the 2019 Australian bushfires. Thomas proposes strengthening the exhibit’s connection to foods, medicines, and fixatives that benefit from cultural burning. He envisions collaboration with the Adelaide Botanic Gardens and acknowledges the resource constraints faced by the museum. He concludes by envisioning a template for extending improvements across the museum and fostering better understanding and representation of Aboriginal cultur
Classification system on the selection of number of implants and superstructure design on the basis available vertical restorative space and interforaminal distance for implant supported mandibular overdenture
No full textPurpose: The rehabilitation of the edentulous mandible is a challenge due to various limiting factors, of which the available vertical restorative space (AVRS) has been well understood in the literature. However, other anatomic variations such as arch form, arch size, and also the interforaminal distance (IFD) (due to the presence of mandibular nerve) are influential in the selection of size and position of implants, and thereby the prosthetic design. Materials and Method: In the present study, 30 edentulous patients from a group of 300 edentulous patients, representing all the three jaw relations (Class I, II, and III) were evaluated for designing a classification that could help in a comprehensive treatment plan for the edentulous mandible. Dental panoramic radiographs of each individual with a trial or final prosthesis were made. The horizontal IFD and AVRS values were calculated. Results: One-way analysis of variance followed by post-hoc test (multiple comparison) and Bonferroni method having P < 0.05 as significant value showed an overall mean of 38.9 mm for horizontal distance and 13.69 mm for the AVRS in 30 edentulous patients. Conclusion: The results showed that in the majority of cases (90%) there is insufficient space to place a bar attachment supported by five implants for mandibular overdentures. This suggests that a universal treatment plan cannot be followed due to varying anatomic factors. Hence, it becomes imperative to have a set of clinical guidelines based on the AVRS and IFD, for the selection of implant number and type of attachment. The article proposes a simple classification system based on the AVRS and IFD for establishing guidelines in the treatment planning of the edentulous mandible, to aid in selection of implant size, number, and position along with the associated prosthetic design
Author Correction: Genetic architecture of host proteins involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
No full textThe original version of this Article cited “Mehra, M. R., Desai, S. S., Kuy, S., Henry, T. D. & Patel, A. N. Cardiovascular disease, drug therapy, and mortality in Covid-19. N. Engl. J. Med. 382, e102 (2020)” as Ref. 20. The cited paper was retracted; accordingly, Ref. 20 has been replaced with "Grasselli G et al. Risk factors associated with mortality among patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units in Lombardy, Italy. JAMA Intern. Med. 180, 1345–1355 (2020)”. This has been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the article
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