6,878 research outputs found
Can we make a Finsler metric complete by a trivial projective change?
A trivial projective change of a Finsler metric is the Finsler metric . I explain when it is possible to make a given Finsler metric both
forward and backward complete by a trivial projective change.
The problem actually came from lorentz geometry and mathematical relativity:
it was observed that it is possible to understand the light-line geodesics of a
(normalized, standard) stationary 4-dimensional space-time as geodesics of a
certain Finsler Randers metric on a 3-dimensional manifold. The trivial
projective change of the Finsler metric corresponds to the choice of another
3-dimensional slice, and the existence of a trivial projective change that is
forward and backward complete is equivalent to the global hyperbolicity of the
space-time.Comment: 11 pages, one figure, submitted to the proceedings of VI
International Meeting on Lorentzian Geometry (Granada
MEXICAN-U.S. FRESH TOMATO TRADE: AN ANALYSIS OF VOLUME, PRICES AND TRANSACTION COSTS
Tomato trade between the U.S. and Mexico has grown significantly during the past decade. Although the tariff reductions accorded under NAFTA may explain part of his increase, there are other supply and demand factors that affect trade flows. This study develops a U.S.-Mexico tomato trade model, with special focus on the interdependence between trading costs and the volume of Mexican imports. As expected, the exchange rate is a significant determinant of trading costs, but the level of tariffs was insignificant in both the trading and tomato supply equations. The shipping point price level and volume of imports also appear to affect these costs. For the import supply and demand models, there appears to be a significant share of imports that rely on previous levels of imports, rather than the expected economic factors (prices, income, and producer price index). We conclude that the structure and performance of the tomato trading market is changing, and may be more influential than tariff reductions in explaining increased trade flows.Crop Production/Industries, International Relations/Trade,
PRICE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG NORTH AMERICAN FRESH TOMATO MARKETS: A COMPARISON BETWEEN MEXICAN AND U.S. MARKETS
Tomato trade between the U.S. and Mexican has grown significantly during the past decade, and market structure suggests increased market integration. This study examines fresh tomato price relationships between two major North American shipping points (Sinaloa, and Florida) and several major terminal markets in the U.S. and Mexico to infer whether business strategies vary by supply region or the geography of consumer markets. The results show some evidence of inefficient pricing behavior among some markets, and suggest that Mexican shipping point prices are less integrated with Mexico's own terminal markets than the closest U.S. market, Los Angeles. Moreover, perfectly competitive price behavior is less likely in a terminal market (Chicago) where Sinaloa and Florida compete during winter months. These results are the basis of discussion on the role of strategic behavior and trade policy influence in these markets.International Relations/Trade,
Scalar Field Dark Matter: non-spherical collapse and late time behavior
We show the evolution of non-spherically symmetric balls of a
self-gravitating scalar field in the Newtonian regime or equivalently an ideal
self-gravitating condensed Bose gas. In order to do so, we use a finite
differencing approximation of the Shcr\"odinger-Poisson (SP) system of
equations with axial symmetry in cylindrical coordinates. Our results indicate:
1) that spherically symmetric ground state equilibrium configurations are
stable against non-spherical perturbations and 2) that such configurations of
the SP system are late-time attractors for non-spherically symmetric initial
profiles of the scalar field, which is a generalization of such behavior for
spherically symmetric initial profiles. Our system and the boundary conditions
used, work as a model of scalar field dark matter collapse after the turnaround
point. In such case, we have found that the scalar field overdensities tolerate
non-spherical contributions to the profile of the initial fluctuation.Comment: 8 revtex pages, 10 eps figures. Accepted for publication in PR
Self-gravitating system made of axions
We show that the inclusion of an axion-like effective potential in the
construction of a self-gravitating system made of scalar fields leads to a
decrease on its compactness when the value of the self-interaction coupling
constant is increased. By including the current values for the axion mass m and
decay constant f_a, we have computed the mass and the radius for
self-gravitating systems made of axion particles. It is found that such objects
will have asteroid-size masses and radius of few meters, then, the
self-gravitating system made of axions could play the role of scalar
mini-machos that are mimicking a cold dark matter model for the galactic halo.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. References added. Accepted for publication in
Physical Review
Access to diagnosis and treatment of Chagas disease/infection in endemic and non-endemic countries in the XXI century.
In this article, Médicos Sin Fronteras (MSF) Spain faces the challenge of selecting, piecing together, and conveying in the clearest possible way, the main lessons learnt over the course of the last seven years in the world of medical care for Chagas disease. More than two thousand children under the age of 14 have been treated; the majority of whom come from rural Latin American areas with difficult access. It is based on these lessons learnt, through mistakes and successes, that MSF advocates that medical care for patients with Chagas disease be a reality, in a manner which is inclusive (not exclusive), integrated (with medical, psychological, social, and educational components), and in which the patient is actively followed. This must be a multi-disease approach with permanent quality controls in place based on primary health care (PHC). Rapid diagnostic tests and new medications should be available, as well as therapeutic plans and patient management (including side effects) with standardised flows for medical care for patients within PHC in relation to secondary and tertiary level, inclusive of epidemiological surveillance systems
J D Bernal: philosophy, politics and the science of science
This paper is an examination of the philosophical and political legacy of John Desmond Bernal. It addresses the evidence of an emerging consensus on Bernal based on the recent biography of Bernal by Andrew Brown and the reviews it has received. It takes issue with this view of Bernal, which tends to be admiring of his scientific contribution, bemused by his sexuality, condescending to his philosophy and hostile to his politics. This article is a critical defence of his philosophical and political position
Phase II of the ASCE Benchmark Study on SHM
The task group on structural health monitoring of the Dynamic Committee of ASCE was formed in
1999 at the 12
th
Engineering Mechanics Conference. The task group has designed a number of analytical
studies on a benchmark structure and there are plans to follow these with an experimental program. The
first phase of the analytical studies was completed in 2001. The second phase, initiated in the summer of
2001, was formulated in the light of the experience gained on phase I and focuses on increasing realism in
the simulation of the discrepancies between the actual structure and the mathematical model used in the
analysis. This paper describes the rational that lead the SHM task group to the definition of phase II and
presents the details of the cases that are being considered
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