7,366 research outputs found
International linkage of real interest rates: the case of East Asian countries
This paper examines linkage of real interest rates for a group of selected countries in East Asia. The countries under study include Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The long run relationship is tested and estimated using the conitegration analysis. We also have conducted the impulse response analysis based on unrestricted vector autoregression, using the bias-corrected wild bootstrap for statistical inference. Our results show that (1) there exists a long run equilibrium relationship, (2) there are interesting short run dynamic interactions, in which Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand play the role of equilibrating factorFinancial linkage; Real interest rate parity; Cointegration analysis; Wild bootstrap
Nonlinear Propagation of Light in One Dimensional Periodic Structures
We consider the nonlinear propagation of light in an optical fiber waveguide
as modeled by the anharmonic Maxwell-Lorentz equations (AMLE). The waveguide is
assumed to have an index of refraction which varies periodically along its
length. The wavelength of light is selected to be in resonance with the
periodic structure (Bragg resonance). The AMLE system considered incorporates
the effects non-instantaneous response of the medium to the electromagnetic
field (chromatic or material dispersion), the periodic structure (photonic band
dispersion) and nonlinearity. We present a detailed discussion of the role of
these effects individually and in concert. We derive the nonlinear coupled mode
equations (NLCME) which govern the envelope of the coupled backward and forward
components of the electromagnetic field. We prove the validity of the NLCME
description and give explicit estimates for the deviation of the approximation
given by NLCME from the {\it exact} dynamics, governed by AMLE. NLCME is known
to have gap soliton states. A consequence of our results is the existence of
very long-lived {\it gap soliton} states of AMLE. We present numerical
simulations which validate as well as illustrate the limits of the theory.
Finally, we verify that the assumptions of our model apply to the parameter
regimes explored in recent physical experiments in which gap solitons were
observed.Comment: To appear in The Journal of Nonlinear Science; 55 pages, 13 figure
Jahn-Teller instability in C6H6+ and C6H6- revisited
The benzene cation (C6H6+) has a doublet (e_{1g}) ground state in hexagonal
ring (D_{6h}) geometry. Therefore a Jahn-Teller (JT) distortion will lower the
energy. The present theoretical study yields a model Huckel-type Hamiltonian
that includes the JT coupling of the e_{1g} electronic ground state with the
two e_{2g} vibrational modes: in-plane ring-bending and C-C bond-stretching. We
obtain the JT couplings from density functional theory (DFT), which gives a JT
energy lowering of 970 cm^{-1} in agreement with previous quantum chemistry
calculations. We find a non-adiabatic solution for vibrational spectra and
predict frequencies shifts of both the benzene cation and anion, and give a
reinterpretation of the available experimental data.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure
The stellar mass-accretion rate relation in T Tauri stars and brown dwarfs
Recent observations show a strong correlation between stellar mass and
accretion rate in young stellar and sub-stellar objects, with the scaling
holding over more than four orders of magnitude
in accretion rate. We explore the consequences of this correlation in the
context of disk evolution models. We note that such a correlation is not
expected to arise from variations in disk angular momentum transport efficiency
with stellar mass, and suggest that it may reflect a systematic trend in disk
initial conditions. In this case we find that brown dwarf disks initially have
rather larger radii than those around more massive objects. By considering disk
evolution, and invoking a simple parametrization for a shut-off in accretion at
the end of the disk lifetime, we show that such models predict that the scatter
in the stellar mass-accretion rate relationship should increase with increasing
stellar mass, in rough agreement with current observations.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letter
Immune-Mediated Inflammation May Contribute to the Pathogenesis of Cardiovascular Disease in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I.
BackgroundCardiovascular disease, a progressive manifestation of α-L-iduronidase deficiency or mucopolysaccharidosis type I, continues in patients both untreated and treated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or intravenous enzyme replacement. Few studies have examined the effects of α-L-iduronidase deficiency and subsequent glycosaminoglycan storage upon arterial gene expression to understand the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease.MethodsGene expression in carotid artery, ascending, and descending aortas from four non-tolerized, non-enzyme treated 19 month-old mucopolysaccharidosis type I dogs was compared with expression in corresponding vascular segments from three normal, age-matched dogs. Data were analyzed using R and whole genome network correlation analysis, a bias-free method of categorizing expression level and significance into discrete modules. Genes were further categorized based on module-trait relationships. Expression of clusterin, a protein implicated in other etiologies of cardiovascular disease, was assessed in canine and murine mucopolysaccharidosis type I aortas via Western blot and in situ immunohistochemistry.ResultsGene families with more than two-fold, significant increased expression involved lysosomal function, proteasome function, and immune regulation. Significantly downregulated genes were related to cellular adhesion, cytoskeletal elements, and calcium regulation. Clusterin gene overexpression (9-fold) and protein overexpression (1.3 to 1.62-fold) was confirmed and located specifically in arterial plaques of mucopolysaccharidosis-affected dogs and mice.ConclusionsOverexpression of lysosomal and proteasomal-related genes are expected responses to cellular stress induced by lysosomal storage in mucopolysaccharidosis type I. Upregulation of immunity-related genes implicates the potential involvement of glycosaminoglycan-induced inflammation in the pathogenesis of mucopolysaccharidosis-related arterial disease, for which clusterin represents a potential biomarker
Price setting in the euro area: Some stylised facts from Individual Producer Price Data
This paper documents producer price setting in 6 countries of the euro area: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Portugal. It collects evidence from available studies on each of those countries and also provides new evidence. These studies use monthly producer price data. The following five stylised facts emerge consistently across countries. First, producer prices change infrequently: each month around 21% of prices change. Second, there is substantial cross-sector heterogeneity in the frequency of price changes: prices change very often in the energy sector, less often in food and intermediate goods and least often in non-durable non- food and durable goods. Third, countries have a similar ranking of industries in terms of frequency of price changes. Fourth, there is no evidence of downward nominal rigidity: price changes are for about 45% decreases and 55% increases. Fifth, price changes are sizeable compared to the inflation rate. The paper also examines the factors driving producer price changes. It finds that costs structure, competition, seasonality, inflation and attractive pricing all play a role in driving producer price changes. In addition producer prices tend to be more flexible than consumer prices.
Strong-field general relativity and quasi-periodic oscillations in x-ray binaries
Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) at frequencies near 1000 Hz were recently
discovered in several x-ray binaries containing neutron stars. Two sources show
no correlation between QPO frequency and source count rate (Berger et al. 1996,
Zhang et al. 1996). We suggest that the QPO frequency is determined by the
Keplerian orbital frequency near the marginally stable orbit predicted by
general relativity in strong gravitational fields (Muchotrzeb-Czerny 1986,
Paczynski 1987, Kluzniak et al. 1990). The QPO frequencies observed from 4U
1636-536 imply that the mass of the neutron star is 2.02 +/- 0.12 solar masses.
Interpretation of the 4.1 keV absorption line observed from 4U 1636-536 (Waki
et al. 1984) as due to Fe XXV ions then implies a neutron star radius of 9.6
+/-0.6 km.Comment: 4 pages, uses aas2pp4.sty, submitted to ApJ
Integrating Beneficiation into Regolith Conveyance Systems
Regolith conveyance includes hauler/dumpers, hoppers, augers, pneumatic transport subsystems, and other elements. The features of the conveyance and the time the material stream spend in conveyance may be used synergistically to perform beneficiation, pre-processing (such as heating), and other tasks, thus reducing the mass and complexity of the overall ISRU system. Since the cost of spaceflight is largely driven by the cost of launching mass out of Earth's gravity well, the conveyance system should be leveraged in this way to the maximum extent
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