Bringing Growth Theory "Down to Earth"

Explicitly accounting for certain basic physical laws governing the “earth” sector dramatically enriches our ability to explain a high degree of diversity in observed patterns of economic growth. We provide a theoretical explanation of why some countries have been able to sustain a more or less constant and positive rate of economic growth for many decades while so many others have failed to do so. The analysis predicts that countries that have an over abundance of physical capital (a concept that is precisely defined in the text) may be unable to sustain a positive rate of economic growth over the long run. Too much physical capital may affect the dynamics of the economy ultimately leading to stagnation. The plausibility of the growth model introduced here is demonstrated by its ability to predict some important stylized facts for which standard endogenous growth models generally cannot account.endogenous growth theory, unbalanced growth, structural change, stagnation, Environmental Economics and Policy, International Development, Labor and Human Capital, Political Economy, E22, Q01, O41,

The magnitude and Cyclical Behavior of Financial Market Frictions

We analyze a new panel data set that includes balance sheet information, measures of expected default risk, and credit spreads on publicly-traded debt for more than 900 firms over the period 1997Q1 through 2003Q3. We obtain precise time-specific estimates of the financial frictions parameter underlying the benchmark financial accelerator model of Bernanke, Gertler, and Gilchrist (1999) and clearly reject the null hypothesis of no credit market imperfections; furthermore, for the expansionary period through mid-2000, these estimates are quite similar to the calibrated values used in previous research. Finally, we find that financial market frictions exhibit strong cyclical pattern, with parameter estimates rising by a factor of two during the latest economic downturn before returning to pre-recession levels in 2003.perturbation, policy

Ultracold atoms at unitarity within quantum Monte Carlo

Variational and diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (VMC and DMC) calculations of the properties of the zero-temperature fermionic gas at unitarity are reported. The ratio of the energy of the interacting to the non-interacting gas for a system of 128 particles is calculated to be 0.4517(3) in VMC and 0.4339(1) in the more accurate DMC method. The spherically-averaged pair-correlation functions, momentum densities, and one-body density matrices are very similar in VMC and DMC, but the two-body density matrices and condensate fractions show some differences. Our best estimate of the condensate fraction of 0.51 is a little smaller than values from other quantum Monte Carlo calculations

Shape detection of physical objects with Intel 5300 and the 802.11n CSI Tool

This thesis presents a detailed look at channel state information (CSI), an efficient approach to the shape detection of physical objects, and observations on how environment noise affects CSI. CSI describes the communication link between a transmitter and receiver through the properties of multiple channels. Once analyzed, these channels or subcarriers describe how the signal travels from the transmitting device to the receiving device. While this information was intended to help increase signal quality and strength of a communication link, many other applications have been suggested. The proposed application in this paper provides a way with minimal resources to capture and utilize CSI for shape detection. Instead of relying on gestures or movements, I focus on the experiment setup used to detect object shapes and their respective CSI signature. Hence, if I can determine the shape an object should be, then I can detect when that shape changes and capture specific events. In addition, I utilize Wi-Fi as a common source available to provide CSI in many real-world applications without the need for additional resources. Experimentally, I demonstrate how to build a system capable of capturing CSI, how to use CSI logging tools, how environment noise affects CSI, and an approach to detect shape changes

In Situ Cosmogenic Backgrounds in the MAJORANA DEMONSTRATOR

Neutrino-less double-beta decay is a proposed type of radioactive decay that, if observed, could answer several outstanding physics questions, such as Is the neutrino its own antiparticle otherwise known as a Majorana particle? , What is the mass of the neutrino? , and What is the neutrino mass hierarchy? As technology and experimental techniques improve, the sensitivity of experiments looking for rare events becomes more dependent on the backgrounds. Some of these backgrounds can be reduced using shielding techniques such as implementing a veto system, selecting radiopure components, and conducting the experiment deep underground. However some amount of cosmogenically induced backgrounds remain as an irreducible background. By understanding how these processes occur within the experimental setup, the effect of these backgrounds on the experimental analysis can be mitigated. The Majorana Demonstrator, located at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, is currently searching for neutrinoless double-beta decay using two arrays of germanium-76 P-Type Point Contact detectors. In this work, for the first time, actual data from the Majorana Demonstrator is being used to benchmark popular simulation packages to better understand in situ production of radioactive isotopes and provide tools for future low background experiments. The simulation packages FLUKA and GEANT4 are used to estimate the irreducible prompt muon-induced background rate in the Majorana Demonstrator, and the measurement of five muon-induced background signals is conducted. In addition, the University of Tennessee group was responsible for construction, commissioning, maintaining, and data analysis for one of the key Majorana Demonstrator subsystems: The Active Muon Veto System. We will discuss related activities as well

Small-Scale Digitization Projects For State and Local Publications

There is no question that libraries of all sizes, no matter how small, have an important role to play in preserving and facilitating the discovery of government publications. This is especially true for documents issued at the state and local level, precisely because they are less-well known nationally and therefore less likely to be included in larger national digitization projects. By focusing on what might as well be called small government publications, little libraries and small selective depository libraries can enter the digitization arena by undertaking small-scale digitization projects that, despite their diminutive scale, can achieve digital preservation successes in the range of minor to major. For inspiration, we should recall the hero of Robert Walser’s now celebrated novel from 1909, Jakob von Gunten, who adopts the motto “To be small and to stay small.

Raccoons: A Dive into the Misrepresented Representation

The power of 15 raced toward the silhouette of a large weiner into the sunset. An anxious loom of defeat filled the air as the pack stopped at a red light on the corner of Lincoln Way and Beach Avenue. “We are law abiding,” explains Cody, one of the elder Raccoons who sat down with me to debunk the misinterpreted image Iowa State University students have attributed to his pack. Cody, much like the other Raccoons who live around campus must deal with the hardships of constant slurs, violence and extreme oppression