Intermediation in Foreign Trade: When do Exporters Rely on Intermediaries?

The paper explores theoretically and empirically why trade intermediaries (TIs) are frequently used as agents for exports to some countries but not to others. We adapt a standard intra-industry trade model with variable export costs (e.g. transport) and fixed export costs (e.g. market access) to include a TI that is able to pool market access cost. From this framework explanatory factors for the TI share in a countryÕs exports are derived and subsequently tested with a new data set based on French customs information. The paper finds that: (i) higher market access costs increase the TI share, (ii) smaller export markets feature a larger TI share, (iii) the TI share is independent from variable (distance-dependent) export costs.trade intermediation, indirect exports, monopolistic competition

A gradient-based weighted averaging method for estimation of fingerprint orientation fields

Estimation of orientation fields is an essential module in a fingerprint recognition system. Conventional gradient based approaches are popular but very sensitive to noise. In this paper, we propose a new implementation that is more resistant to noise. Our basic idea is to conduct redundant estimation over four overlapping neighborhoods for each target block. Following this idea, we devise a weighted averaging scheme operated on the base blocks directly. Thus, each block (including the target one) in the overlapping neighborhoods has different impact on estimation of the dominant orientation fields. Our preliminary experiment results suggest that the proposed weighted averaging algorithm is more robust against noise in comparison with other gradient based methods

Heavy Meson Physics: What have we learned in Twenty Years?

I give a personal account of the development of the field of heavy quarks. After reviewing the experimental discovery of charm and bottom quarks, I describe how the field's focus shifted towards determination of CKM elements and how this has matured into a precision science.Comment: This talk was presented during the ceremony awarding the Medalla 2003 of the Division of Particles and Fields of The Mexican Phsyical Society, at the IX Mexican Workshop on Particles and Fields; submitted for proceedings; 9 pages, 9 figures; replacement: fix multiple typo

Efficient reconfigurable techniques for VLSI arrays with 6-port switches

This paper proposes an efficient techniques to reconfigure a two-dimensional degradable very large scale integration/wafer scale integration (VLSI/WSI) array under the row and column routing constraints, which has been shown to be NP-complete. The proposed VLSI/WSI array consists of identical processing elements such as processors or memory cells embedded in a 6-port switch lattice in the form of a rectangular grid. It has been shown that the proposed VLSI structure with 6-port switches eliminates the need to incorporate internal bypass within processing elements and leads to notable increase in the harvest when compared with the one using 4-port switches. A new greedy rerouting algorithm and compensation approaches are also proposed to maximize harvest through reconfiguration. Experimental results show that the proposed VLSI array with 6-port switches consistently outperforms the most efficient alternative, proposed in literature, toward maximizing the harvest in the presence of fault processing elements

Paper Session III-A - Rack Level Test Facility- The Columbus APM Payload Verification Tool

The COLUMBUS laboratory APM (Attached Pressurized Module) provides for the partial and complete exchange of payload facilities on-orbit. This laboratory is planned to be launched with initial payload installed and will remain in orbit until the end of its operational life. The initial payload will be upgraded in resupply missions until the full on-orbit payload capability is reached. Periodically servicing will be performed as well as on-orbit exchange of complete or partial payload facilities in resupply missions

Evaluation of SMAP Freeze/Thaw Retrieval Accuracy at Core Validation Sites in the Contiguous United States

Seasonal freeze-thaw (FT) impacts much of the northern hemisphere and is an important control on its water, energy, and carbon cycle. Although FT in natural environments extends south of 45°N, FT studies using the L-band have so far been restricted to boreal or greater latitudes. This study addresses this gap by applying a seasonal threshold algorithm to Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) data (L3_SM_P) to obtain a FT product south of 45°N (‘SMAP FT’), which is then evaluated at SMAP core validation sites (CVS) located in the contiguous United States (CONUS). SMAP landscape FT retrievals are usually in good agreement with 0–5 cm soil temperature at SMAP grids containing CVS stations (\u3e70%). The accuracy could be further improved by taking into account specific overpass time (PM), the grid-specific seasonal scaling factor, the data aggregation method, and the sampling error. Annual SMAP FT extent maps compared to modeled soil temperatures derived from the Goddard Earth Observing System Model Version 5 (GEOS-5) show that seasonal FT in CONUS extends to latitudes of about 35–40°N, and that FT varies substantially in space and by year. In general, spatial and temporal trends between SMAP and modeled FT were similar

Deep levels in a-plane, high Mg-content MgxZn1-xO epitaxial layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Deep level defects in n-type unintentionally doped a-plane MgxZn1−xO, grown by molecular beam epitaxy on r-plane sapphire were fully characterized using deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS) and related methods. Four compositions of MgxZn1−xO were examined with x = 0.31, 0.44, 0.52, and 0.56 together with a control ZnO sample. DLOS measurements revealed the presence of five deep levels in each Mg-containing sample, having energy levels of Ec − 1.4 eV, 2.1 eV, 2.6 V, and Ev + 0.3 eV and 0.6 eV. For all Mg compositions, the activation energies of the first three states were constant with respect to the conduction band edge, whereas the latter two revealed constant activation energies with respect to the valence band edge. In contrast to the ternary materials, only three levels, at Ec − 2.1 eV, Ev + 0.3 eV, and 0.6 eV, were observed for the ZnO control sample in this systematically grown series of samples. Substantially higher concentrations of the deep levels at Ev + 0.3 eV and Ec − 2.1 eV were observed in ZnO compared to the Mg alloyed samples. Moreover, there is a general invariance of trap concentration of the Ev + 0.3 eV and 0.6 eV levels on Mg content, while at least and order of magnitude dependency of the Ec − 1.4 eV and Ec − 2.6 eV levels in Mg alloyed samples

Density of Surface States in Discrete Models

We consider a simple quantum model with a surface and prove the existence of a surface density of states. We show that the energy spectrum of the model is the union of the support of the bulk densities of states of the media forming the surface and the support of the surface density of states