2,816 research outputs found
Holdup and Comparative Advantage
We consider a setting where fims need to make irreversible investments to exploit a countrys comparative advantage. Firms are then susceptible to ex-post rent extraction by a transit country or by other agents that are able to limit access to world markets. We develop a general equilibrium model where this potential holdup problem makes such countries poorer and less likely to invest in technology that generates their comparative advantage. The predictions of the model are examined using gravity equations and a new measure of distances that explicitly considers the location of the closest ports. The evidence is consistent with less trade by landlocked countries as a result of the holdup problem we examine
Genomic clues to an ancient asexual scandal
The bdelloid rotifers are a successful and diverse group of organisms, despite being entirely asexual. How do they do it
Pegaptanib sodium as maintenance therapy in neovascular age-related macular degeneration: the LEVEL study
Phase transitions and the internal noise structure of nonlinear Schr\"odi nger equation solitons
We predict phase-transitions in the quantum noise characteristics of systems
described by the quantum nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation, showing them to be
related to the solitonic field transition at half the fundamental soliton
amplitude. These phase-transitions are robust with respect to Raman noise and
scattering losses. We also describe the rich internal quantum noise structure
of the solitonic fields in the vicinity of the phase-transition. For optical
coherent quantum solitons, this leads to the prediction that eliminating the
peak side-band noise due to the electronic nonlinearity of silica fiber by
spectral filtering leads to the optimal photon-number noise reduction of a
fundamental soliton.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure
Quantum limits to center-of-mass measurements
We discuss the issue of measuring the mean position (center-of-mass) of a
group of bosonic or fermionic quantum particles, including particle number
fluctuations. We introduce a standard quantum limit for these measurements at
ultra-low temperatures, and discuss this limit in the context of both photons
and ultra-cold atoms. In the case of fermions, we present evidence that the
Pauli exclusion principle has a strongly beneficial effect, giving rise to a
1/N scaling in the position standard-deviation -- as opposed to a
scaling for bosons. The difference between the actual mean-position fluctuation
and this limit is evidence for quantum wave-packet spreading in the
center-of-mass. This macroscopic quantum effect cannot be readily observed for
non-interacting particles, due to classical pulse broadening. For this reason,
we also study the evolution of photonic and matter-wave solitons, where
classical dispersion is suppressed. In the photonic case, we show that the
intrinsic quantum diffusion of the mean position can contribute significantly
to uncertainties in soliton pulse arrival times. We also discuss ways in which
the relatively long lifetimes of attractive bosons in matter-wave solitons may
be used to demonstrate quantum interference between massive objects composed of
thousands of particles.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures. Submitted to PRA. Revised to include more
references as well as a discussion of fermionic center-of-mas
Not going with the flow : locomotor activity does not constrain immunity in a wild fish
Immunity is a central component of fitness in wild animals, but its determinants are poorly understood. In particular, the importance of locomotory activity as a constraint on immunity is unresolved. Using a piscine model (Gasterosteus aculeatus) we combined a 25-month observational time series for a wild lotic habitat with an open flume experiment to determine the influence of locomotor activity (counter-current swimming) on natural variation in immune function. To maximize the detectability of effects in our flume experiment we set flow velocity and duration (10 cm s-1 for 48 h) just below the point at which exhaustion would ensue. Following this treatment, we measured expression in a set of immune-associated genes and infectious disease resistance through a standard challenge with an ecologically-relevant monogenean infection (Gyrodactylus gasterostei). In the wild, there was a strong association of water flow with the expression of immune-associated genes, but this association became modest and more complex when adjusted for thermal effects. Our flume experiment, although statistically well-powered and based on a scenario near the limits of swimming performance in stickleback, detected no counter-current swimming effect on immune-associated gene expression or infection resistance. The field association between flow rate and immune expression could thus be due to an indirect effect and we tentatively advance hypotheses to explain this. This study clarifies the drivers of immune investment in wild vertebrates; although locomotor activity, within the normal natural range, may not directly influence immunocompetence, it may still correlate with other variables that do
Analysis of Cell-Mediated Immune Responses in Support of Dengue Vaccine Development Efforts
Dengue vaccine development has made significant strides, but a better understanding of how vaccine-induced immune responses correlate with vaccine efficacy can greatly accelerate development, testing, and deployment as well as ameliorate potential risks and safety concerns. Advances in basic immunology knowledge and techniques have already improved our understanding of cell-mediated immunity of natural dengue virus infection and vaccination. We conclude that the evidence base is adequate to argue for inclusion of assessments of cell-mediated immunity as part of clinical trials of dengue vaccines, although further research to identify useful correlates of protective immunity is needed
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